Little Girl Lost
by Alwayssg1
Summary: An Endgame AU where Natasha took charge of the orphans left behind by the Snap. Romangers. Slow burn.
1. Chapter 1

**I haven't seen any fanfiction exploring the writers' dropped story line where Natasha was in charge of orphans during the five years post Snap. Personally, I'm glad she was leading the Avengers, because the first woman in charge of the team needed to be the first woman of the MCU. It didn't stop this AU from popping into my head though, and since it is an AU, expect a different Endgame and a heaping helping of Romangers.**

**I don't own Marvel or any of these amazing characters. I just like to play in their toy box from time to time.**

* * *

**6 Months post Snap**

Natasha sighed as she hung up the phone. Sometimes she wondered if Thanos had snapped away everyone with any common sense at all. She was completely certain the new president had no common sense or he wouldn't have put her in the role of liaison to the children's homes housing children left behind. This idiot in charge of the home in Brooklyn obviously had no common sense, or he would know how to handle a little girl struggling with the loss of her parents and unable to fit in and "play nice" with the other children.

"If I had any sense, I would have said no and gone back on the run," she muttered.

"What's that?" Steve asked, looking up from the latest psychology book he'd picked up at the library.

"Sorry, I was just talking to myself. Why did I take this job again?"

"Oh, we're having that conversation again. Let's see. Because you know how it feels to be a child without parents looking out for you," he said, "and because you know there are a lot of bad people in the world who would take advantage of these kids. Nat, you're the right person for the job. You're doing great."

"If I were doing so great, I wouldn't be moving Sophie Tanner to her fifth home tomorrow."

"Sophie?" Steve repeated, obviously trying to place the little girl.

"The little girl I moved to Brooklyn three weeks ago from the home in New Jersey. The month before, she was in Statin Island," Natasha said. Steve's expression was still blank. Sometimes she wondered if there was any of the old cap in him anymore. He was so absorbed in all they'd lost it was hard to have a conversation with him. She usually didn't even try, but he had asked. "She's the four year old we took for ice cream when I was moving her last time."

"Oh, the quiet little redheaded girl," Steve said when it finally dawned on him who they were talking about. "Sorry, why didn't it work out this time? She seemed like a sweet kid."

"A sweet kid who doesn't play well with others and apparently knows how to strike a match. She started a fire at the group home. It was a small one in a trashcan. Nobody was hurt, but they won't keep her. Apparently, I need to go over the importance of actually keeping an eye on the children with the staff when I pick her up tomorrow."

"I thought the actual placement and removal of the kids was supposed to be done by one of the social workers. Why you?"

"I'm the only one who can handle her. It would seem she's a Black Widow fan. When they picked her up, she had a Black Widow action figure. I didn't even know I had any fans."

Steve smiled a half smile, the only kind she'd seen on his face since catching up to him after Berlin a few years before, and looked her in the eye. "I'm not surprised. You're a hero, Nat. Where are you taking her?"

"Not sure. Every home is overcrowded. No one is in a good enough place mentally to even consider fostering, so we have to work with the resources we have. I'll be glad when people get their heads out of their a-" she paused and looked sheepishly at her partner, "it will be easier when people get their heads on straight and are hopefully more willing to help the children left behind. So many of these kids were left with no one. Sophie's parents were all she had, and they didn't even disappear, Steve. They were driving, and the driver of an eighteen wheeler turned to dust, leaving the truck unmanned. They died on impact. Sophie was with a sitter. The sitter turned to dust, and she was on her own for days. I need to make some calls. I'll probably have to do a little shuffling around, but she's no longer welcome where she's at."

"Or," Steve said, "you could bring her here."

"Here? We aren't equipped for that. This is the Avengers Compound. Who would take care of her?"

"You just said people need to get their heads on straight and start fostering these kids. She needs parents, Nat, not a group home. Why not us? We could set the example. Maybe others would follow and you wouldn't need all these group homes."

"We're not an 'us', Steve."

"We may not be romantically involved, but we're definitely an 'us'. You're my partner and, quite frankly, one of the few friends I have left."

"And if the world needs saving? It's not like we could just leave a preschooler home alone. Parenting is a huge responsibility."

"Nat, I already told you I'm done. After what happened, I can't go back out there. Helping people cope is my job now. I failed and they're hurting. I was going to get a place in Brooklyn and leave the compound behind."

"You're leaving?"

"I was, but maybe I won't now. Maybe I could stay here and help with Sophie. We could give her a family. Maybe it'll help us figure out how to move on."

The idea of Steve leaving was hard for Natasha to bear. Bruce had locked himself away in some secret lab off the grid. Thor was a drunken mess. Tony hadn't spoken to them since he left the compound, and Clint was MIA. If she didn't have Steve, she really would be alone, but this was a crazy idea. They were completely out of their element.

A picture of Sophie formed in her mind. The child really wasn't making it in the system. Could she honestly expect things to go any better at the next home or the next? Steve did have a point about them setting an example. If more people were willing to take in orphans of the Snap, the kids would have a better shot. "You're sure about this, Steve? Because, if we do this, there's no going back. I don't want Sophie to lose another family. You'd be stuck playing Daddy-stuck with me. We're talking about the equivalency of becoming divorced parents with shared custody. Think about the future Mrs. Rogers. She might not appreciate what your suggesting."

"I wouldn't bail on Sophie or you. We've been partners a long time. We get along better than most married couples. We've posed as a married couple more than once," he said, smirking, and Natasha felt her face flush at the memory. "Anyone who couldn't accept you and Sophie as part of my life wouldn't even get a second date. What about you? Bruce might have a problem with-"

"Bruce knows my feelings have changed. I'm married to my job, Steve. It doesn't matter what job it is, the mission will always come first. If we take this on, Sophie becomes my primary mission."

"Our primary mission," Steve said. "We're doing this, right?"

"I've followed you into some of the craziest places, but I never thought I'd follow you into parenthood. What the hell! For Sophie, we can do this."

Steve smiled a real smile, and Natasha couldn't help but return it. Maybe this little girl was what Steve needed to start living again. She had tried for months to get him back on his feet, but nothing worked. He'd never been receptive to her attempts at matchmaking, even though she'd tried pretty hard because she wanted him to have a family-a family she couldn't give him even though she would have liked to fix him up with herself once upon a time. While her romantic feelings for him had faded, buried under years of friendship and shared battles, she could still make sure he had the chance to be a father. Eventually, he would heal enough to be Captain America again. This could work.

* * *

Steve walked into Sam's old room. It was closest to his own. Wanda's was closer to Natasha's, but he couldn't suggest turning it into a space for Sophie. The girl had been like a sister to Natasha. Sam, on the other hand, had only crashed in the room part time. Most of his personal belongings were still in his place in D.C.

The room was pretty basic considering Tony designed it. The dresser was fine, and it had a nice view through the window. He figured it would probably be smart to get a smaller bed. Sophie would need the floor space to play. He'd have to talk Natasha into helping him make the space just right for a child. They could get a doll house and a little book shelf. Sophie would need a toy box, too.

He wondered if the little girl would like to dance. He knew Natasha still slipped on her ballet shoes when she was home alone. He'd caught her dancing once a few weeks ealier. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. She looked so relaxed when she danced, almost happy even. Natasha needed a normal life, and the moment he learned Sophie loved the Black Widow, he knew he had to put that little girl in Natasha's arms. She'd make an incredible mother.

This little girl might just be the key to helping Natasha move on. She was hurting. The whole world was hurting, but watching Natasha suffer was killing him. He'd been a fool to think leaving her alone in this big compound was the right move, but he couldn't stand to see the pain in her eyes every night when he came home.

She was his rock, his best friend, and when he failed to stop Thanos it cost her everything that mattered. Clint was out there somewhere doing God know what, but Laura and the kids, her family, were gone. He caused that when he refused to sign those damn Accords. He doomed half of all life, and there was no way to fix it.

If he could make Natasha happy again and give her a family of her own, maybe he could forgive himself just a little. Maybe she would even start looking at him the way she used to when he was a hero. He wasn't foolish enough to hope she'd see him as anything more than a friend, but he could give her this. They could really be partners again, and maybe it would be enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha walked through the group home at a steady, determined pace. Her high heels clicked on the tile floor, and the look on her face was a familiar one to Steve. He'd seen it multiple times through the years as she dealt with bureaucrats or Shield agents who didn't know their place, but it had been a long time since he had witnessed it up close. This role suited her. No matter what she said about not being the right person for the job, she really was the only person determined enough to keep the children safe.

Steve managed to stay in step with his partner until they reached the director's office then she gave him a slight nod telling him he didn't need to follow her inside. He was a little disappointed. Natasha was without a doubt going to give the man a piece of her mind, and he would have liked to see the fire in her eyes again as she did it.

Instead, he followed their guide to one of the girls' bunk rooms where little Sophie sat on one of the lower bunks. "After yesterday's incident, we couldn't risk having her around the other children."

Steve cocked an eyebrow. "So, you left a four year old alone?"

"We've been watching her through the camera," the woman said. "Our hands are a little full, Captain. We do the best we can do."

Steve softened slightly. The woman couldn't be over twenty-five and she was helping care for over forty children. It had to be overwhelming. He looked down at Sophie. She was fiddling with the blanket and trying not to make eye contact with either of the adults who had intruded on her solitude. "Would you mind giving us a minute?"

The woman nodded and left the room. Steve took a seat on the bunk across from Sophie and just watched her for a moment, hoping she'd acknowledge his presence. When she continued to look anywhere but his direction, he cleared his throat. "Do you remember me?"

"You work for Black Widow," she said softly. "You're Captain and an avenger like her," she paused. "Is Widow mad at me for the fire? Am I going to jail?"

Steve shook his head. "No, not jail, but we can't have you setting fires. Little girls aren't supposed to play with matches. Someone could have gotten hurt. Why'd you do it?"

"Becca stole my Widow."

"Excuse me?"

"My Widow doll, she took it and won't give it back. I was mad, so I burned her drawing."

"I see," Steve said. "I guess we should have a talk with Becca, too. She shouldn't have taken your toy, but you can't take matters into your own hands. It isn't right."

"Widow would have fought. Mommy said Widow was a hero who fought the bad guys and helped people. I can't fight Becca. She's too big. Burning was all I could do. They said I have to go somewhere else. I'm sorry I messed up another house."

"We'll work it out with Becca and get your doll back, but you do have to move again."

"Are you taking me to the new place?"

"I am," he said, hearing the tap of Natasha's heels coming into the room, "but I'm not alone."

The little girl's attention turned to the door. "Widow, you came. Captain said you're not mad and I don't have to go to jail. I'm sorry I messed up another one."

Natasha bent down next to Sophie and looked her in the eyes. "We'll talk about it later little missy. Are you packed?" Sophie nodded. "Let's get you out of here."

"There's something we need to do first," Steve said. "Sophie's toy was stolen. That's what caused all this trouble. I promised we'd get it back."

"Widow's not a toy. She's my best friend," Sophie declared, "and Becca has her. I got to rescue her. Becca took the head off of Lindsey's Barbie last week."

Natasha seemed to catch on faster than Steve had, because she immediately took the little girl's hand. "Where exactly is Becca right now?"

Twenty minutes later, Steve, Natasha, Sophie, and her Black Widow action figure were sitting in Natasha's Honda Pilot. The little girl was much more subdued as she clutched her doll, and Steve couldn't help but look from her to Natasha. There was something right about what they were doing, more right than he could completely put together, and it gave him a peace he hadn't had in a while.

"Where are you taking me next?"

"You've worn out your welcome at just about every group home in the area, Sophie. I'm running out of options," Natasha said.

"So, jail it is," the girl muttered.

"No, just not another group home. You're coming back to the Avengers Compound with us. Steve and I discussed it, and we think you'd do better if there weren't so many other children around."

"Am I going to be an Avenger?"

"No, you're going to be a four year old, a normal four year old. You're just going to live with us, and we're going to keep you safe and out of trouble."

"Like Mommy and Daddy did? Are you going to be my new mommy?"

Steve watched Natasha's face, but he couldn't get a read on her thoughts. She was just looking straight ahead, pretending to concentrate fully on the road in front of her. Finally, he turned his head and answered the question himself. "You can call us whatever you want, but our plan is to raise you and help you figure things out. We know you lost a lot. Everyone's lost people they love. We can't help everyone, but Natasha and I want to help you. You won't be moving again just because you do something wrong. Instead, we'll discipline you and help you find better ways to do things the next time. You'll have your own room with your own toys. You'll go to school and make friends. We'll eat dinner together as a family every night, and you'll be able to count on us. If you get sick, we'll take care of you. If you need help trying your shoes, we'll tie them for you. No more group homes, no more moving. Do you understand?"

"You're going to be my new mommy and daddy," she said firmly. "My old mommy would like that. She said Widow was the best kind of hero."

Steve looked at Natasha again. This time it was pretty easy to read her. She wiped a tear from her eye before putting her hand back on the wheel. She still didn't speak, but this time Steve knew it was because she couldn't. He wondered if she'd ever see herself as a hero and hoped this little girl might be the key.

* * *

Settling Sophie in to her room didn't take long. It wasn't like she had many personal belongings, but Natasha knew Steve intended to fix that particular problem. She had already caught him looking at doll houses on-line. Sophie might not want to put down her Black Widow action figure at the moment, but Natasha wasn't under an illusions about who would hold the title of favorite parent.

Parent, now there was a loaded word. Natasha didn't even know her own parents' names and after one conversation with Steve about one of many children she was responsible for, she'd become a mother. What was she thinking? Oh, she knew exactly what she was thinking. He could have made any request or demand on her and she would have agreed if it meant Steve not leaving.

There was something about Sophie she couldn't get over. Maybe it was the child's hero worship or maybe it was how much she reminded Natasha of herself as a girl, but she needed to protect Sophie. If that meant figuring out how to be a mother, then so be it. She watched Laura for years. She was even a little envious at times. Motherhood was something she was never supposed to understand. Now, she felt an insane sense of urgency to understand everything about it. If only Laura were around to call for backup.

"I'm hungry," Sophie said, interrupting Natasha's thoughts.

"It is almost dinnertime. Why don't I order a pizza?"

Sophie smiled. "Cheese please."

Natasha didn't need to ask Steve about toppings. She knew exactly what he liked. The subject of dinner did bring up a point neither of them had considered. They didn't cook much. That was going to have to change. Little girls needed more than takeout and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As soon as this little girl was settled in for the night, she and Steve were going to have to talk. They'd just jumped in with both feet. Now, it was time to figure out what they were doing.

Dinner went well. Steve seemed pleased with Sophie's quick adjustment, but Natasha knew better. This was the honeymoon phase. It wouldn't last long then they'd have to deal with the testing phase. Five moves in half a year would be awful for any kid in foster care. Add in the global scale of the crisis bringing Sophie into the system and they could kiss easy adjustment goodbye.

As they tucked Sophie into the oversized bed in Sam's old room, Natasha realized Steve was right about the need for something smaller. The little girl looked tiny in the queen size bed, and she didn't seem very excited about the prospect of having the room to herself. "Will you read me a story first?"

"We don't have any children's books," Steve said. "I promise we'll get some tomorrow."

"What about tonight? Can we go get one now?"

"No," Natasha said firmly, eyeing Steve because it was obvious he was ready to cave. "It's bedtime and bedtime is important." Sophie didn't look convinced, and Natasha could tell Steve disagreed. Finally, an idea struck her. "Friday?"

"Yes, Agent Romanoff."

"Can you please read _The Princess and the Pea_?"

"Of course, Agent Romanoff. Would you like the book's images projected on the ceiling."

"That would be nice, Friday."

Soon, Steve and Natasha were laying on each side of Sophie looking up at the projected images on the ceiling. Natasha found herself so enthralled in the story and the magic of the moment, she didn't even notice Sophie had fallen asleep. When the story ended, Steve looked pretty sleepy, too. She gently nudged him and they left the room together.

"We should probably talk while we don't have prying ears. Come to my room?" she asked.

Steve nodded and followed Natasha past his own door and into her room. "Just give me a minute to get changed and we'll talk strategy," she said before grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and heading into her bathroom. She left the door partially open, knowing he was too much of a gentleman to peak and not particularly minding if he did. "She likes you."

"Not as much as she likes you," he said. "It's really sweet the way she idolizes her favorite hero."

Natasha came back in the room. Steve was on her bed, his head propped against the backboard. They'd shared hotel rooms often enough on the run for it not to be much of a shock, but it had been a while since she'd crawled into bed beside him. It was nice to be able to do it now, without being fugitives. "I doubt I'll seem like much of a hero when she gets comfortable and realizes I'm going to make her mind her manners. We have to be on the same page, Steve. You almost caved in there."

Steve didn't bother denying it. "I guess I have a lot to learn. My dad died before I was old enough to remember him. I'm flying without a net, Nat."

"Join the club. I've watched Clint and Laura, but this was never in the plans for me."

"You didn't want kids with Bruce?"

"It wasn't an option. The Red Room made sure I would never have anything or anyone more important than the mission," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It never made sense to want something I couldn't have."

"I'm sorry, Nat."

"Don't be. It's just one of many things that can't be changed. Doesn't matter now. It hasn't mattered for a long time."

"I used to want a family. I figured there would be time after the war, but when I woke up, I didn't want the same things anymore. I don't think I let myself want them again until last night. Sophie deserves a chance, Nat. We can do this. I'll try to be more consistent and follow your lead. We'll find a balance that works for us."

Natasha smiled. She was sleepy, and she knew Steve had to be tired, too. Sophie had more energy than she expected. "You want to stay?"

"I shouldn't. We already explained we aren't that kind of couple. If she comes looking for one of us in the middle of the night, she'll come here looking for you."

"She won't. Six months without parents, six months in group homes, Steve," she said softly, "she won't expect anyone to comfort her in the night."

"I hope you're wrong about that. I want her to feel safe enough to come to us."

"In time. Just not yet."

"Maybe I will stay if it's okay."

"I wouldn't have offered if it weren't," she said, closing her eyes. She knew Steve wasn't going anywhere, and she didn't want him to go, even if it was just next door.


	3. Chapter 3

Waking early was natural for Steve. Army life engrained it into him. Since the Snap, or Decimation as the rest of the world called it, he couldn't usually even stay in bed until the sun came up. Nightmares plagued him, so he was pleasantly surprised to see the morning light pouring through the window when he awoke from a dreamless sleep.

He looked over at the empty space next to him. Natasha was already awake. He could hear the shower running. He was about to get out of bed and give her some privacy when he heard Friday's voice. "Captain Rogers, Miss Sophie is awake and walking towards the kitchen."

"Thank you, Friday," he said, standing to put on the pants he had slipped out of during the night.

He was almost ready when Natasha came out of the bathroom. She was still in her towel, but Steve wasn't surprised. For a world renowned spy, she was the world's worst at remembering a change of clothes. When they were partners at Shield, he was positive she only did it to get a rise out of him. Nothing seemed to make her day more than causing his cheeks to flush. After years of working together, he was now convinced she just didn't think about it or even realize how seeing her affected him.

Had it really been six months since they'd shared a room? Six months since he had slept peacefully the whole night? He didn't even realize he was staring until Natasha spoke. "It's not the first time you've seen me in a towel. You can put your eyes back in your head."

Steve averted his eyes. "Sorry. It's just been a while. I didn't mean to act inappropriately."

Natasha laughed. "Easy, Steve. It's not a big deal. I was teasing."

"I haven't heard you laugh since-"

Natasha frowned. "It's been hard. I don't think I've had a reason. Sleep okay?"

"Better than I have in months."

"Me too. Did I hear Friday?"

"Yeah, Sophie is awake. I was just on my way to fix her some breakfast."

"I'll be right down. Any chance pancakes are on the menu?"

Steve smiled. Getting Natasha to eat was a challenge anymore. "I'll get them started."

Steve found Sophie sitting at the table with her Black Widow doll. She hadn't turned on the television or gone rummaging through the cabinets. She was just waiting. He hoped it wouldn't take long for her to start making herself at home. "Ever helped make pancakes?"

Sophie shook her head, so Steve motioned for her to follow him. He lifted her up so she could wash her hands then put her on the counter. "I'll add the ingredients and you can stir."

By the time Natasha arrived, Sophie was chattering up a storm and the first few pancakes were on the platter. "Looks like you have plenty of help."

"The best kind of help," Steve said, looking down at a beaming Sophie.

"Widow, Captain can cook."

"Well, he can make pancakes anyway," Natasha said. "You might want to wait until you've tried more of his cooking before making any judgment calls."

"You know what, Romanoff-" Steve began.

"Your pancake is burning, Rogers."

Steve quickly flipped the pancake. Natasha was really getting to him this morning, and he was a little puzzled. They used to tease and flirt. Even on the run, there had been moments, but everything had been so somber since the Snap. Sophie hadn't even been in the house a full 24 hours and things were already different.

"What time's your first session today?" Natasha asked as she cut Sophie's pancakes into bite size portions.

"I asked Julia to handle things today. Figured you might need a hand."

Natasha nodded. "We need to get Sophie enrolled in preschool. I made a few calls before coming downstairs. There's an opening. You want to tag along."

"I'd like that. Maybe we can pick up a few things for Sophie's room afterwards."

"Never thought I'd see the day where Steve Rogers actually wanted to spend an afternoon shopping with me. You're on."

"Well, usually it's you picking out things for me I don't actually need. This will be different. Good even. Besides, it's been a while." Steve didn't need to remind her their last shopping trip had been clothes shopping for covers in Venice, and it hadn't exactly been an easy day. By the end of it, they were slipping out of the country in a hurry, separated from Sam, Wanda, and the quinjet, and running from Ross's men. They stayed shut up in a cheap hotel room for days playing cards and eating terrible take out.

Having Ross out of the picture probably expedited their return to the governments of the world's good graces, but even losing their enemy weighed on Steve. The man may have been a troublemaker, but he didn't deserve to die.

Steve was broken out of his thoughts by Sophie's tears. "I don't want to go to school. You said I'd stay here with you."

Natasha put her hand on Sophie's head and patted the unruly red curls. "You'll only be at school during the day. Every night you'll come back here. It's important for you to make friends and learn new things, and I have to keep tabs on the other children and make sure the Avengers stay out of trouble."

"I could stay with Captain."

"Captain has to help people who are sad feel better. We all have jobs, Sophie, and school is your job. Can you do your job for me?"

"I'll try, but what if they don't like me?"

"They'll love you," Natasha said, pulling the little girl into her lap. "If you're done eating, why don't you go change into the clothes I put out for you. I'll be up in a minute to do your hair."

The little girl nodded. She didn't look entirely convinced school was a good idea, but she took off to do what Natasha said. "You're really good at this," Steve said. "It's funny how much she looks like you."

"I hadn't noticed," Natasha said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Your hair, your eyes," Steve said, "makes me wonder about her parents. I wonder what they looked like."

"We should probably try and locate a few pictures. She'll want them someday. I should probably get some paperwork started while I'm at it. We'll have to fill out some forms and take the fostering classes. If we are really going to be the example and encourage others to take in these kids, we have to play by the rules. We can't use our status to get preferential treatment."

"We can do that. How long will it take?"

"Depends on what we're going for I guess. Temporary guardianship would be easier than adoption, but-"

"I don't like the word temporary," Steve said. "We agreed she's been moved enough."

"Adoption will be trickier. It might be easier if only one of us filled out the paperwork. Single parent adoption is hard enough without it involving two single parents."

"You really think it'll still be an issue after what happened?"

Natasha shook her head. "I don't know. I'll make some calls. If it is, we'll figure out an alternative. Either way, we're in this together. It won't matter to Sophie what the paperwork says. She just needs stability and an assurance she isn't going anywhere. I could involve Pepper if you don't want to depend on a bunch of bureaucrats."

Steve was surprised. "You still talk to Pepper?"

"She checks in. I haven't talked to Tony since they left. Pepper's expecting. I probably should have told you, but things have been so off. It doesn't really feel real. Nothing feels real."

"Except Sophie," Steve said softly.

"Except Sophie," Natasha agreed.

* * *

Sophie wasn't happy about staying at the preschool, but Natasha really believed the sooner a routine was established, the better it would be for everyone. Steve backed Natasha up then stopped her from going back in the building and collecting the little girl five minutes later.

They spent a few hours picking up things Sophie would need, and Natasha found herself enjoying Steve's enthusiasm. He really was all in where Sophie was concerned. If they could pull this off and help Sophie and others would follow their lead, maybe some real healing could take place for adults and children alike.

By the time Steve and Natasha stopped for lunch, Natasha almost felt like she had the real Steve back. She tried to remember the last time they'd spent any real time together, and it hurt a little to realize how long it had been. When they got back from Thanos's garden, knowing the stones had been destroyed, the wind was completely out of their sails.

Failing once was hard enough, but the second failure, not being able to bring everyone back, that stung. It wasn't long after when the president gave her the new title, Special Liaison to Displaced Children, and all the responsibilities that came with it. She was grateful Rhodey could be the Avengers' boots on the ground, but with Steve out of the game, she felt the weight of monitoring the chaos from the compound, and it was hard to do both jobs justice.

Today was almost like a vacation, and Chinese food with her friend and partner felt like an extravagant treat. "Remember the time Sam accidentally ordered sheep intestines and complained the whole meal because nobody would trade?" she asked after a lull in the conversation.

Steve laughed. "He swore you let him do it on purpose."

"Who says I didn't? I tried to get him to learn a little of the language. We'd been there nearly two months."

"I miss him," Steve said. "I miss all of them."

"Me too."

"I've missed you, too. I know you were always there, but it felt like I was alone."

Natasha tried to keep the tears burning in her eyes from spilling onto her face. "I know. I missed you, too."

"Do you think we could not miss each other anymore? I mean, of course, we have to be there for Sophie, but I want to be there for you, too, Nat. I don't know if I remember how to be the friend you need, but I really want to try."

"I was never good at friendship. It wasn't exactly encouraged when I was in Russia. Clint changed that to an extent, but you pushed he completely out of my comfort zone when you asked me to be a friend. Having you, Sam, Wanda, even Bruce, Tony, and the others, it changed me. It made me a better person. I want that person back. Sophie needs me to be that person."

"Then I guess, for Sophie, we should try harder to move on. Think we're ready?"

Natasha let out a half laugh that came out more like a snort. "No," she said, "but I guess we better get there."


	4. Chapter 4

The next several weeks passed quickly. Temporary custody of Sophie was arranged, and Natasha and Steve were nearly finished with the fostering classes. Anything permanent was going to take time, but Pepper had a few lawyers on the case. Natasha was grateful for her help.

Sophie was just beginning to test them, and Natasha was actually grateful for the little girl's new penchant for disobedience. The sooner the child realized they were committed, the sooner she would actually feel secure. It didn't make it any easier with the preschool, but Sophie certainly wasn't the only child struggling in a post Snap world. The Blip, as the rest of the world called it, wasn't something people could just sweep under the rug and get over.

Steve was still leading several support groups, but he rearranged his schedule to be more available to Sophie and Natasha, something Natasha appreciated more than she would have expected. They spent a lot more time together, even when Sophie was in school. It was good to have their connection back on track.

Steve was great with Sophie. Natasha loved the way he handled the girl's tests. She didn't feel quite as adequate, and Steve teased her about it. "She's just like you. I've had a lot of practice dealing with you."

She hit him playfully and challenged him to a sparring session, but he declined. "I haven't hit the gym in months. With all the extra training you've been doing, you'd wipe the floor with me."

"Chicken?"

"Absolutely."

"It might do you some good," she said. "Besides, training and sparring are two very different things. I could use a real workout."

In the end, he wasn't able to deny her and they made their way down to the gym. "Best 3 out of 5 and loser cooks dinner?"

"You're just making me more determined to win, Rogers. Your cooking has really improved."

The first two rounds went quickly with one win apiece. Early into the third round, Steve had her on the ground. Getting out of it with her strength alone wasn't going to happen then she realized he was eye level her cleavage, and he was definitely looking. She pretended to struggle and raised her chest a bit closer to his face and let out a soft moan. It did exactly what she intended, and she flipped him while he was still distracted. "Playing dirty, Romanoff?"

"Just using all my assets to my advantage, Rogers. I don't want to cook tonight, and you obviously need to get back into the dating game. It was too easy."

"About that, I was going to talk to you after we put Sophie to bed. You remember Julia?"

"Your partner at work who helps arrange the support groups?"

"Yeah, she, well, she asked me to go with her to a dinner party this weekend," he said. "I haven't said yes."

"But, you haven't said no," Natasha said softly before recovering her voice enough to sound convincing. "You should go, Steve. We agreed it was time to get started living again. Sophie needs us to be normal."

"Not sure dating is the way to do that. Sophie is used to us as a unit. I don't think she's ready for either of us to introduce someone new into her world."

"So, don't mention it to Sophie unless it gets serious."

"We're okay with that?"

"It's not about us. It's about you. If you want to go out with the pretty girl who is obviously interested in you, do it." Natasha hoped she didn't sound as agitated as she felt. This was a good thing. If Steve was healing enough to start dating, a good friend would be supportive. Why didn't she feel supportive? It's not like he wouldn't still be her partner here with Sophie. Maybe she was a little jealous of his new partnership with his new coworker, but it wasn't because she wanted him for herself. No, her jealousy was strictly professional jealousy. She wanted Steve back with the Avengers. It didn't matter who was warming his bed, or at least it shouldn't. "I'm going to take a shower. You should pick up steaks for tonight. You're getting really good at those."

"Sure," Steve said, "whatever you want, Nat."

The mail had run by the time Natasha finished her shower, and there was a pretty important letter waiting. She opened it and couldn't stop staring at the picture inside. She'd requested the pictures a few weeks earlier, but like everything post Snap, it had taken some time for the agency responsible for storage of Blip victims' belongings to locate the Tanner family's things. This picture should have been something Sophie would treasure, a piece of her past to make her feel more complete in the years to come, but for Natasha, it was suddenly so much more. As she stared into Elaine Tanner's face, she saw her missing friend-a friend she'd looked for all to briefly before getting wrapped up in the new Avengers' training with Steve.

It had been such an unlikely friendship, but all of the friendships Natasha had ever formed fell into that category. She'd known Elaine when the girl was nothing more than a child. Elaine, Yelena in those days, was almost as ruthless as Natasha had been at her age, and she'd been impressed with Ivan's new favorite student's ambition when the Red Room called her in to give the younger girls a demonstration. Natasha didn't see Yelena again until Shield fell.

Being on her own with her secrets on the net, Natasha had expected trouble. It was one of the main reasons she didn't go with Fury or Steve. She just hadn't expected it to be Yelena who came for her. They played cat and mouse for weeks, Natasha letting Yelena believe she was running the game. Things finally came to a head when the Red Room got impatient and sent in reinforcements to kill them both. Turning Yelena had been so easy because the girl really had idolized her, and Natasha invited her to stay and learn to be on the right side when the threat had passed. Yelena had refused, saying she had unfinished business with their former handlers, and slipped away in the night. Natasha searched for her, but the other widow was good. She covered her tracks. Soon enough, the Avengers needed to reassemble and thoughts of Yelena went out the window. Now, she knew what happened to her friend. She escaped, made a life for herself, and now she was gone.

Natasha was more determined than ever to make sure Sophie had the life she deserved, but that familiar ache at another loss hit her hard. When Steve found her, she pushed aside her irritation over their earlier conversation and told him everything as he held the picture.

"Yelena was hiding in New Jersey," she said, "practically right under my nose."

"I guess she went blonde on the run, too," Steve said.

"No, she was a blonde as a little girl. I've never seen her hair any other color."

"Hmm, her husband doesn't have red hair either, Nat. I wonder where Sophie's red hair came from."

Natasha bit her lip. "Maybe he wasn't the biological father. I don't know, Steve. Genetics can be a crazy thing."

Steve set the picture back on the table. "I guess, but it seems a little off. I thought the Red Room made sure it's graduates couldn't have children."

Natasha shrugged. "Yelena must not have been given the serum. Steve, why are you looking so deeply into this? Yelena and her husband were victims of Thanos. There's no big mystery to solve. At least, I know she got out and had a life. I'm grateful. Don't look for something that isn't there. If you're ready to get back into the game, I can think of plenty of more important things for Captain America to do. The team needs you leading, not me."

"Nat, that's not going to happen. You're doing great with what's left of the team. I just think you might be too close to this situation to look at it objectively."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Are you questioning my abilities as a spy, Rogers?"

"Never, you're the best spy I know."

"Then drop it. I've got a meeting at 2. Sophie and the steaks or should I call Travis?"

"I've got her. She doesn't like it when your assistant picks her up, and we pay for it the rest of the night."

Natasha nodded. "She does have a mind of her own." Natasha put the photograph back into the envelope and headed out of the room. Steve had a point. There were things that didn't add up, but she wasn't sure she wanted to pull any thread that led back to the Red room, at least not where Sophie was concerned. Yelena had hidden well. Natasha could only hope no one associated with their former trainers knew about Sophie. "Friday, increase security protocol alpha around the compound."

"Is there a new threat, Agent Romanoff?"

"No, Friday, it's just a precaution. It's probably nothing."

* * *

"What's for snack, Captain?" Sophie asked as she hung her over the back of the chair?"

"How about some popcorn?"

"With butter?"

"Lots of butter, but there's something we need to do first. Follow me." Steve knew Natasha couldn't see what he saw, and there would be trouble if she found out he was exploring his hunch. It just didn't matter. There was something about Sophie from the beginning, but with this new revelation Steve couldn't just blow off his suspicions. He led the little girl to Tony's lab. He was a little surprised Friday let him in. He hadn't tried since Tony and Pepper moved out. Grabbing the supplies he needed, Steve put on a pair of gloves and handed Sophie a small glass tube. "Think you could spit in here?"

Sophie laughed. "That's silly. Why do I have to spit?"

"It's a game."

"A silly game."

"A silly game we probably shouldn't tell Natasha about," he said. "Grown up women don't like spit."

His words made Sophie giggle, but she did as he asked. "Good job. Head back to the kitchen, and I'll be right down to make you a snack."

Once he was sure Sophie was out of earshot, Steve put the sample in a machine he hoped was the right one. He wished he had paid closer attention when Dr. Chow did the DNA scan on Wanda shortly after she had joined the team. "Friday, I need this sample analyzed."

"What am I looking for, Captain Rogers?"

"DNA analysis, please. Compare Sophie's sample to everyone in your database. I need the results to be for my eyes only. Will that be a problem?"

"You have complete access to all my programs. I'll have the results in 24 hours."

"Thank you, Friday." He would have his answers before the weekend.

Now, he just needed to decide what to do about Julia. She was a nice person, and Natasha seemed to think it was a good idea. Part of him had hoped she'd tell him it was a mistake. He hated being "friend zoned", that was Sam's word for his relationship with Natasha, but if he pushed for more and she rejected him, they might lose the ground they'd gained back since Sophie's arrival. He needed to just get over his feelings for Natasha once and for all, but dragging Julia into it wasn't the answer. He would just tell her he couldn't make it. Besides, if these results were what he was starting to suspect, he was going to be busy.

**We are moving into the main plot now. I couldn't resist bringing in Yelena. Theories?**


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Natasha finished her meeting with her department heads, she was exhausted. She loved her team. They cared about the children, but getting through all the red tape from the pre-Snap system was frustrating. The world was different, and they needed to be able to work differently. Too many kids were falling through the cracks.

Before heading back to the compound, Natasha checked her emails. There was one from Rocket. His emails were always interesting. He was wordy for a raccoon, but she couldn't help liking him. His newest update told her he and Nebula had made it to Carol's ship. The three of them were working to stabilize a particularly unruly planet unable to come to grips with the losses.

After reading his email, she looked at one from Rhodey. He was no closer to locating Clint, but he had some suspicions that didn't set well with Natasha. She decided not to think about their implications just yet. Facts first. Besides, she'd already had enough bombshells for one day.

Yelena was dead, and she was Sophie's mother. That was enough to make Natasha's head spin and even make Steve's love life a nonissue. She needed to stay focused on the things that really mattered, and Sophie was at the top of the list.

The steaks were cooking when Natasha arrived. Sophie came running as soon as she entered the room. "Widow, I didn't get in trouble today."

Natasha hugged the child tightly, maybe even a little tighter than usual. "I'm so proud of you. Thank you for trying to behave." She placed a kiss on the crown of her head. "Steve and I have something for you."

"Is it candy?"

"It's better than candy."

"Can I have it now?"

Natasha looked at Steve. He nodded in agreement and the three went to the room Natasha was using as an office. "This came in the mail today."

She pulled the picture out and handed it to Sophie. "Mommy and Daddy, you found them."

Natasha leaned down beside her. "Oh, honey, it's a picture of them. I can't bring them back for you. I wish I could, but-"

Sophie's eyes filled with tears. "But, you can't. I miss them."

"I'm sorry. Want to know something about your mom? When I saw her picture, I remembered her. She was my friend."

"Really?"

Natasha nodded. She couldn't tell Sophie much, but she could give her a little. "Before you were born, your mom saved my life once. We worked together for a little while. She was a hero, Sophie."

"Like you and Captain?"

Natasha nodded. If things had been different, she had no doubt Yelena would have eventually joined the Avengers. "Yes, she was very brave."

"I'm going to be brave, too. I want to be like Mommy."

"I think you're a very brave little girl," Steve said.

"Do you think I'm as brave as Widow?"

Steve looked at Natasha instead of Sophie when he answered. "I've never met anyone as brave as Widow, but you're on the right track. Do you want to keep the picture in your room?"

"Please."

"Go find it a spot and we will eat in a few minutes."

Sophie ran to do as Steve said, and Natasha started to leave the room but Steve grabbed her arm. "I told Julia no."

"Why? I mean, okay, if you're not ready, you're not ready."

"I'm not ready to change things around here. We've got a good thing going with Sophie, I mean."

"Don't use Sophie as an excuse not to live your life. If you like this woman-"

"I don't. I think I like the idea of having someone in my life that way, but she's not the right someone. Besides, we work together. It could get complicated."

Before she could stop herself, Natasha looked into his eyes. "Is that why you never hit on me? Or, Wanda?" she added when she realized what she had said.

"Wanda was a kid, Nat. Don't even go there."

"Everyone's a kid compared to you, old man. I was just teasing, Steve."

"Not interested in why I didn't ever try to make a move on you."

"No," she said, probably too quickly for it to be believable. "Besides, I wouldn't have said yes." It was true. She wanted so much more for him than she could give.

"And, there's your answer," he said, walking around her to get to the door.

"That's not fair, Steve. You can't say something like that then walk out of the room."

He turned around. "I shouldn't have said anything at all."

"You wanted me to be a friend. You could have said anything in that moment, but you said friend."

"You'd been trying to set me up with other women for a year. What was I supposed to say?" Natasha didn't have an answer, so she said nothing. "That's what I thought. We do make good friends though, don't we?"

"The best, Steve. We probably wouldn't have worked anyway. You were obsessed with finding James and I was obsessed with finding myself. I was attracted to you. I just didn't think I was what you needed."

"You're always what I need, Nat. Eventually, someone is going to come along and you're going to want more than friendship with him. I'll probably be jealous at first."

"I doubt I'll like whoever you bring around much either at first." Natasha didn't realize how close they were standing to each other by the time she finished speaking. When she looked up, they were inches apart. He was leaning down. All she would have to do was lift her head a little further and there was no doubt he would kiss her. "We're in dangerous territory, Rogers. We should probably go back to the kitchen before we ruin a perfectly good friendship."

"Or, not," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

She couldn't help kissing him back. The day had been so exhausting. She was emotionally compromised, and she knew it. This was probably the worst thing they could do, but it was Steve and he was kissing her without any bad guys chasing them and not for some cover. Where he was concerned, she'd been compromised for a long time.

Steve pulled back first. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Sophie-"

"needs us," Natasha said, shoving down the disappointment rising inside of her. "It's just been an off day. We weren't thinking clearly. I shouldn't have teased you in the gym or asked that question. I most certainly shouldn't have kissed you back. What we have is too important to me. I need you, Steve, and I'm not used to needing anybody."

"I need you, too," he said, and she turned to go, only to find herself being pulled back into his arms. Just before he kissed her again, he whispered, "you kissed me back."

When they finally broke apart, Natasha was breathless. "I thought we just decided this was a bad idea and it wouldn't have worked."

"It probably wouldn't have worked before, but we aren't who we were five years ago. You said we should move on with our lives. Why don't we try and move on together? I know who I want to be with, and, after that kiss, I'm pretty sure you feel at least a little bit the same way. What do you say, Nat? Willing to take a chance?"

"This could be a really bad idea. We need to be really sure, I mean, really sure. If it doesn't work out, I can't not have you in my life, Steve."

"Agreed. I can't lose you either."

"We need to take this slow, and I mean snail pace."

"We could start with dinner."

Natasha smiled. "I'm pretty sure dinner is burning."

"I was thinking dinner alone. We'll get a sitter for Sophie tomorrow night. I'm taking you into the city."

"Okay, dinner alone. Sophie doesn't need to know until we're sure."

"Fair enough."

* * *

The steaks weren't exactly burnt, but they weren't the best he had ever made either. Steve didn't care. Natasha was willing to give them a chance, and he was going to make the most of it. Between thinking about their upcoming date and his curiosity over Sophie's DNA results, he was a little quiet during the meal.

Natasha called him out on it after they tucked Sophie in for the night. "If this is going to be weird, we already have our answer. It's better to back out now."

"What?" he asked, suddenly worried about the direction their conversation was headed.

"You've been really quiet since the little moment in my office."

"Trust me, Nat, I want this. I was thinking but not thinking it was a mistake. Just the opposite honestly. I was thinking about how right this feels."

She smiled. "So, if you're not having second thoughts, why so quiet?"

"You said it yourself earlier. Today's been an unusual day. Sophie's mother was in the Red Room. You and I have a date. That kiss-"

"Kisses," she corrected. "Definitely plural."

"Yeah, definitely more than one kiss," he said. "I just realized I still have a lot to lose, and it surprised me. Nothing is more important than holding on to what's left. I'd do anything to keep you and Sophie safe."

"So, you're ready to suit back up?"

"Didn't say that, but if it meant protecting this family, I'd face Thanos again by myself."

Natasha frowned, and Steve wished he hadn't mentioned the titan's name. "Sorry," he whispered. "Movie in my room?"

"Tempting, but no. If we're going to take things slow, I think I better go straight to my own. You've got game, Steve. When you're kissing a girl for real, it's a whole lot harder to think straight. If you'd kissed me like that on the escalator, Hydra would have won, because I never would have gotten us out of that mall alive."

"See, I told you I didn't need practice," he teased before giving her a quick kiss. "Good night Nat."

Steve had the compound to himself the next day. Sophie was at preschool, and Natasha was having a heart to heart with a couple of senators in D.C. over funding for the children's homes. He was looking at restaurants on the internet trying to choose the perfect place for their first date when Friday's voice came over the intercom. "Captain Rogers, I have Miss Sophie's test results. Would you like to a read out of the findings?"

"Yes, please."

Steve took the report off the printer and read it quickly. His hunch had been almost right, but he had missed the mark. If this was right, Sophie wasn't Natasha's daughter as he had expected. "Does this mean what I think it means, Friday? Exact match?"

"Miss Sophie's sample is a 100 percent match for Agent Romanoff's DNA sequence. There are no mistakes."

"100 percent," he repeated. "Friday, get me everything you can find on the Red Room, focusing in on genetics experiments, and send a copy of this report to Tony. I'd call him myself, but I'm not sure he'll take my call. With Bruce out of pocket, he's the only one I trust with this information."

"Shall I send a copy to Agent Romanoff?"

Steve looked at the paper in front of him. Natasha wasn't going to be happy about the Red Room's experiments. He thought of the ramifications. They could have cloned her multiple times. There could be an entire army of little widows out there training to become assassins. "For now, we better leave Natasha out of the loop. We need answers then I'll tell her everything."


	6. Chapter 6

Steve was waiting in the hangar when Tony arrived. They hadn't spoken in months, and before that it had been years. He was a little surprised by how quickly his old friend dropped everything, but this was big-bigger than he ever would have dreamed.

Tony wasn't alone when he exited the quinjet. He had Happy with him. Steve figured Happy was around more for moral support than anything, but an extra set of eyes looking over the facts might come in handy. "Friday, status report," Tony said before even acknowledging Steve's presence.

"Encrypted files show cloning procedures dating back to the 1950's. Most of the early attempts were unsuccessful. Attempts at creating children identical to key operatives were successful in 1 in 7 attempts until the mid-80's when odds increased to 1 in 4. There is evidence pointing to the creation of fully grown clones in the last fifteen years, but every little documentation exists. I do have coordinates for a base of operations outside of Moscow. It appears to be unmanned, Boss."

"Not what I wanted to hear, Friday. Keep mining the data," Tony said before looking at Steve. "You realize this could be bad, right?"

"I do. I'm in over my head, Tony," Steve said. "Thanks for coming. I know you never wanted to come back here."

"A potential army of evil Widows could really put a damper on my retirement. Got anything to eat? I skipped lunch, and we need to make a plan."

They made a couple of sandwiches and took their seats at the table before getting back to business. "I'd offer congrats on the kid, but it seems like the wrong time. I was happy to hear you and Red decided to settle down and start a family. Just wish it had gone according to plan."

"Sophie is a good kid. I should have listened to Nat and left things alone."

"Rule number one of romance, she's always going to be right. If I'd learned that sooner, maybe Morgan would be our second or third kid. I got to know when this crazy CapWidow thing started. I had my suspicions something was going on between you when she let you go at the airport, but I didn't know it serious."

"It's actually a new thing."

"Since the Blip?"

"Since yesterday."

"Bad timing, Capcicle," he paused. "You had to have already thought of it, but I'm going to say it anyway. Are you completely sure the woman you're raising a clone with isn't, well, a clone of our friend?"

"Yes! She's Nat, Tony. She doesn't even see the resemblance between herself and Sophie."

"You sure about that?"

"Sure about what?" Natasha asked as she entered the room with Sophie.

"You're early," Steve said, standing to hug Sophie.

"I am. I picked Sophie up on my way home. Didn't expect company. Good to see you, Tony," Natasha said, "but I have a feeling this isn't a social call."

"You gonna tell her?" Tony asked.

"Tell me what? Steve, what's going on?"

Steve looked down at Sophie. "Why don't you show Happy your room and let me talk to Widow for a minute?"

"Okay. I can do that, then snack time and a story?"

"We'll see," he said, kissing the girl on the forehead. When they were gone, he looked at Natasha and frowned. "You're going to want to sit down for this."

Natasha was quiet as they explained the situation. Steve could see her mask forming and the wall going up, but he was powerless to stop it. "Clones," she finally said when they'd finished. "Clones of me could be in the new Red Room. They can't be allowed to fulfill their purpose. I need you to suit up, Steve. You have to terminate the threat."

"We need to go to Moscow and evaluate the situation," Steve said, "and we will."

"Not all of us," Tony said.

"I wouldn't ask you to take this kind of a risk. I understand, Tony. You have a wife and a baby due in a few months," Steve said.

"Oh, I'm going," Tony said.

"He means me," Natasha said. "I can't go with you. I think it would be best if you lock me in a cell until you get back with answers."

"Nat, you can't be serious!"

"Steve, think about it. What if I'm not the real Natasha Romanoff? Sophie needs to be protected. Until we're sure I'm not a clone-"

"You are Natasha Romanoff. You'd know. I'd know."

"Would I? Think about James and his triggers. What if they replaced her with me? What if the memories in my head are fabrications? There could be some kind of code word-"

"Nat, you're talking crazy."

"No, I'm trying to protect you while I still can. Tony, tell him I'm not wrong."

"A sleeper agent infiltrating a spy organization without knowing she's a sleeper agent is a little crazy," Tony said, "but so are aliens in Manhattan and mad titans bent on destroying half the universe. I'm with Red. Until we have answers, we should be cautious."

"What about Sophie, Nat? Think about her. Who is going to take care of her while I'm gone and you're-" he stopped, unable to say the words.

"I am thinking about Sophie. She needs to be safe."

"Happy can keep an eye on the miniature red. We can leave tonight, get our answers, and be back in a few days. It's for the best, Cap."

Leaving Natasha in a holding cell was one of the hardest things Steve ever did. He hated himself for pulling this string. The image of the woman he cared about sitting on that bed, a look of defeat on her face, haunted him as they entered Russian airspace. He needed to prove she was the real deal quickly then they needed to figure out what to do about Sophie. The kid was innocent. She deserved a chance to grow up normal. How was that even going to be possible now that they knew where she came from?

"Time to suit up," Tony said as they neared the facility. "Friday says the place looks abandoned, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. My father made this for you. It's about time you had it back." Tony held out his shield.

"You sure about this?"

"I'm sure I'd rather have you fully equipped for battle if I'm the one walking into it with you. Besides, this is a new world. Don't you think we should leave the past in the past."

"I do," Steve said. "It would just be nice if the past didn't keep popping up and biting us in the a-"

"Uh uh uh, language," Tony said with a smile.

"And, there's another moment better left in the past," Steve said, shaking his head and taking the shield.

The facility was dark, not a big surprise since most of the eastern block countries still suffered from post Blip blackouts. "Looks like there's a little light coming out from under that door," Tony said. "Whatever is in there must be important enough to rank a generator, a powerful one according to my readings."

Steve took off towards the door. "Guess we know where to look first." He opened it slowly. Tony was ready to blast anyone on the other side, but there was no one there. "A lab?"

Tony walked to a computer interface. "Not just a lab, the lab," he said after breaking the encryption. "It'll take a few minutes to download the data. Plenty of time to see what's in these pods."

Steve walked over to the first one. It reminded him a little of the chambers the dead winter soldiers were stored in, but it was much smaller. He pushed a few buttons and it opened. Dust.

"Guess being awake wasn't a prerequisite for being snapped away," Tony said, looking over his shoulder. "There's someone in this one. The light on top is green, not red. That one, too."

"You get one, I'll take the other," Steve said. Steve couldn't speak as he looked at the sleeping form of a Natasha. Her hair was longer and completely red, but she was fully grown. He wanted to be sick. He looked over at Tony's pod. There was another copy.

The one beside Steve opened her eyes first, and she wasn't exactly happy to see them. She muttered something in Russian before jumping to her feet and attacking. Steve soon found himself wrestling with the doppelganger, and she had the upper hand. How could she go straight into fight mode?

The struggle didn't last long before he heard Natasha's voice from the other side of the room. The other one was awake. "What the hell's going on, Stark?"

Steve was about to blackout when the doppelganger fell on top of him. One look to his left and he knew why. The second Natasha had shot her. "I'm going to give you ten seconds to explain where we are and why someone with my face was beating the crap out of Captain America, Stark."

"It's going to take a lot more time than that, Red," Tony said, surprising her by cuffing her with special dampening handcuffs. "Just a precaution," he said, looking over at Steve, "you alright, Capcicle?"

"Been better," Steve said, pushing the corpse off of him.

"We'll leave this one cuffed while we finish looking around then I've got a feeling it's going to be a long flight home."

"You think," Steve said, staring at the Natasha in front of him. She looked angry, but she knew them. She'd just saved his life. "I know you have questions. We'll get to them, I promise. Thanks for the assist."

"Rogers, I just shot myself to save your life, and I don't have a clue where we are or how we got here. I'm not feeling particularly patient, and these cuffs won't hold me for long. I suggest you start talking."

Tony let out an exaggerated breath. "Long story short. Moscow. Crazy Red Room experiment. Widow clones probably bent on world domination. That answer a few of your questions? Good, save the rest for the quinjet and let me work."

**I know this was a cruel place to end the chapter, but answers are coming soon. Which Natasha is our Natasha? Why did the other Natasha try to kill Steve? Will Steve and Nat ever get that first date?**


	7. Chapter 7

Natasha placed back and forth in her cell. They should be back by now. She wished she'd sent Rhodey's team with them or insisted they stop and pick up Thor. Steve and Tony working together after all this time probably could be a disaster. If there were an army of, well, her, they could be in real trouble. She was fully aware of what her body was capable of and the guys were retired.

She hated staying behind, but you couldn't trust her own memories. The Red Room had manipulated them before. Maybe every memory was a fabrication. Maybe the real Natasha Romanoff was a prisoner, or worse yet, had changed sides again or maybe even never changed sides at all. Maybe she surrendered to Clint because of some kind of mental programming she wasn't even aware she'd been given. Would she even know if she was a clone?

Happy checked in often and gave her updates on Sophie, but she didn't asked about the mission. If she wasn't who she thought she was, the less she knew, the safer everyone would be. Natasha just needed to be patient and wait for the answers. She had to trust that Steve and Tony would be able to handle the threat, even if the threat turned out to be from her.

Her cell had a glass wall, so she watched as Tony led another woman with her face into the room. She was in handcuffs, but she wasn't resisting. The two women made eye contact as Tony put the other "her" into the cell next door. Her eyes were so intent on following her doppelganger, she didn't notice Steve entering the code to her room until he was inside.

"Hey," he said, coming close enough to hug her.

Natasha stiffened at his touch. She didn't want the other woman to read her emotions. "Please don't," she whispered.

He took a step back. If he was hurt by her actions, he didn't let it show. "We found the lab. Tony called in a clean up crew to pack everything up and bring it here. She was the only copy we brought back."

"Is she a copy?"

Steve looked down. "Verdict isn't in yet, but I refuse to believe you aren't you. She did save me from another clone, and she knew us. Her last memory was just after the battle in New York, but I'll let her tell you the story. You need to compare notes."

"We need to be left in the dark until you have more answers. Think tactics, Steve. The less either of us know, the better."

"That's what she said. Tony and I disagree. He wants to reconfigure BARF to get inside your memories. If he can connect you at the same time, he thinks he can figure out who really experienced them and who didn't."

"Okay, I guess I can see the logic in that, but everything else you find out needs to be kept from either of us. Where's the other one? The one she saved you from?" When Steve didn't answer, she knew. "Dead? I hope she wasn't the original."

"She spoke in Russian and nearly killed me. Pretty sure she was an early copy. Some turned to dust."

"How many? No, don't answer that. I shouldn't have asked."

"We'll figure this out, Nat, then we're going to have that dinner."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, soldier."

"I have no intention of breaking this one. We've waited too long already."

"If I'm the copy-"

"You're still the one I fell for, the one who has been by my side for years. I don't care about the results."

"Well, you better start caring, because if I am not Natasha Romanoff, someone is going to have to do the right thing."

"Right thing? What exactly are you implying?"

"I'll have to die, Steve. It's too risky to keep the clone alive. If it's me-"

"No, absolutely not an option."

"It's the only option."

"Is that how you feel about Sophie? We know she's a clone. Are you proposing we kill her, too?"

"Of course not. She's a child. Raise her to be better. Give her the childhood she deserves and teach her right from wrong. She doesn't have the memories we have. You can help me by saving her."

"Nat, you are not a threat, and I'd be surprised if the woman we brought back is a threat either. I'm going to prove it then we'll figure out the rest of this. As for Sophie, we are raising her together. She needs both of us, and I need you."

Steve leaned in and kissed her, but she didn't kiss him back. She couldn't, not with this hanging over their heads. "You should go. Help Tony set up the machine. Figure this out, and trust his judgement. You're compromised. He needs to be in charge of this mission."

Steve stepped back. This time she knew she'd hurt him, but it didn't matter. It was better this way. He couldn't let whatever had been beginning between them get in the way. He had to do the right thing, and looking through the glass at the other her, Natasha felt pretty sure of what was right. One of them shouldn't be alive.

Her doppelganger walked over to the intercom. Tony must have given her access. She was going to have to have a heart-to-heart with him later. "We should probably talk," the other woman said.

"Or not," Natasha retorted. "One of us is an imposter."

"I agree, and I don't trust them to figure it out. Tony thinks he's smarter than he is and it makes him cocky. I barely know Rogers, but you obviously have him wrapped around your finger. How'd that happen? Assignment from Fury?"

"No, not an assignment."

"Compromised again. We're making a habit of this. First with Barton, now Rogers. I agree. We are a security risk, but exchanging information between ourselves is different. They aren't telling me everything, and I doubt you know as much as you should, probably by choice. Look, we can start with what we know for sure and work our way up to the big things. I know about Thanos."

"They shouldn't have told you anything."

"I asked about Barton. I didn't believe them or give them much choice in telling me more. I needed someone I trust, but that wasn't an option. If he's on his own, that partially answers my question, but I need to hear it from you."

"They're gone," Natasha said. "All of them-Laura, Cooper, Lila, even Nathaniel. You don't have to worry about mentioning the family. Clint told the team a few years ago before Nathaniel was born."

"Nathaniel? After us? God, this is awful. Clint shouldn't be on his own. Why aren't you out there looking for him?" Natasha didn't answer, so her doppelganger answered for her. "Because of Rogers. You couldn't leave him, even for Barton."

"It's not just Steve. I had responsibilities. There's no Shield, at least not in the form is was before. Fury's gone. The other Avengers are a mess. Somebody had to take charge. I have an assignment from the president to look out for the orphans, too. My plate is a little full, but don't you dare accuse me of not trying to find Clint. I have my best man on it."

"You went completely public. We're different. I would never do what you've done."

"Or, you'd do exactly what I did if you'd live the life I have for the last eight years," Natasha said, feeling instantly guilty as soon as she saw the familiar mask go up on her doppelganger's face.

For all intents and purposes, this woman was her eight years ago, and there was a very real possibility she was the one who belonged with the time. Natasha wasn't sure which of them was the fraud, and she felt the almost a survivor's guilt. She also so for the first time just how much she had changed. She wasn't who she was when they'd faced the Chitari, and she wasn't sure how much of the change came from being an Avenger and how much came from being Steve's partner. All she knew for sure was that the Red Room has managed to destroy her life again, and they needed to pay.

The other her turned her back to Natasha and started walking towards the bed. "Wait, let me see the scar," Natasha said. "The fight with James happened before New York."

"So, you found out his name," she said, raising her shirt. "Did you capture him or kill him for what he did to the senator? Let's see yours."

"It was complicated. He wasn't really an assassin. He was brainwashed," Natasha said, examining both scars. "Identical. They really paid attention to the details."

"Details were always their specialty. I hate them. I've worked so hard to be better then this happens. Eight years in that pod," her doppelganger said, "if I'm even me."

"What if neither of us is the real Natasha? Steve said there was another and more that were victims of Thanos's snap. For all we know, the real Natasha still works for the KGB or she could be dead. One thing is for sure, we could be a danger to the team."

Her doppelganger looked away. "The perfect weapons," she whispered, "activated only when they're ready to use us. You know what has to happen? Will they do it?"

"I don't know," Natasha said honestly, "but if they won't, we'll have to do it ourselves. If you're the clone, I will kill you."

"I'll do the same, and if we're both clones, we still have to die. Your boyfriend isn't going to like it."

Natasha didn't bother responding. Steve and Sophie would be devastated. She wasn't ready to tell the other woman about her little girl. Would she see things the way Natasha saw them and help Steve raise Sophie or would she believe Sophie had no place in this world either? Natasha would have to do some soul searching and try and get in her own head so many years ago to find the answer. She hoped she liked what she saw.

* * *

Steve watched Tony work on BARF. With Sophie at school and Julia handling the support groups, there wasn't much else he could do. Natasha didn't want him around. He understood her confusion, but it wasn't easy to watch her close the door they'd just cracked open. He loved her. If he wasn't sure before, he knew it now. He didn't have any doubts about which Natasha belonged by his side either, and he wasn't going to let her throw them away no matter what they learned.

"I asked Okoye to send some things from Shuri's lab. If she was able to deprogram Barnes with her tech, we should be able to check for any trigger words in the Widows," Tony said. "Bruce is still indisposed. I don't know what he's up to, but he agreed to look over our data. Between the two of us, we'll figure this out."

"Nat wants us to kill whichever one of them is the clone," Steve said, trying to keep his voice even.

"I'm sure she does, but it seems a little extreme, doesn't it? You talked to the new one on the plane. She's Red when we first met her, and the one we've had with us has done a lot of good things. If we can save them both, we should."

Steve smiled a half smile. "Glad we're on the same page."

"I did say if," Tony said, "if we can't be sure they're on our side then Red's not completely wrong, but I'm not ready to give up. Two Reds could complicate your life. I don't see them being willing to share even though it does put an interesting picture in my head."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Good to see some things never change. I love Nat, the one we've known for years. I just need to help her see her value if she isn't who she thought she was."

"50/50 shot she's not, so you could be in for trouble."

"Believe me, I know. How long before we can get in their heads and figure this out?"

"Tomorrow, when Shuri's equipment gets here and Rhodey gets back with the items from the lab. Now, go make yourself useful somewhere else, so I can figure this out, and try not to worry. She loves you, too. It's been obvious for a long time. I was surprised when she went for Banner. I was a little bit worried she'd break his heart because of you."

"It was her heart that got broken. She may act tough, but she feels things very deeply. And, right now, she's broken."

Steve and Sophie ate alone that night, and Sophie wasn't a happy camper. "I thought Widow was on a trip with you. Why isn't she back?"

Steve took a bite of his chicken to give him an excuse not to answer immediately. He hated lying, but telling the little girl exactly where Natasha was and why wasn't an option. "Did I lose another mommy, Captain? Is she dead?"

"What? No, she's fine. She misses you, but she can't come back to you just yet. Everything is going to be fine, Sophie," he said, wiping away tears from her eyes and whispering a silent prayer that he wouldn't have to eat his words.

"Widow's a good mommy. I miss her," she said as she climbed into his lap. "You're good at being a daddy, too."

Steve swallowed. "It's easy with such a great little girl showing us what to do."

"Can I call you Daddy now? Would that make my old daddy mad?"

"I think it would be okay with your old daddy, and it would make me very happy."

"Can I call Widow Mommy?"

"Yeah, I think she'd like that. You're our top priority, Sophie. I don't want you to think Wid-, your mom, left because she wanted to be away from you. She loves you very much."

"I love her, too."

Steve needed to get Natasha to see Sophie as soon as possible. If anyone could convince her of her worth it was their little girl. Holding her close, he had a feeling everything would work itself out. It had to for Sophie's sake. They were a family, and he didn't care if the Red Room created them or not. He wasn't letting go.


	8. Chapter 8

The two Natashas insisted on remaining in cuffs as Steve and Tony led them to the lab. They were completely calm, but Steve could tell they weren't looking forward to a search through their memories. The only argument came when Tony insisted the handcuffs be removed, and, of course, that argument came from the woman he loved.

He intentionally left his Natasha in Tony's care and helped wire their visitor for the procedure. She'd made it clear their relationship wasn't something she could cope with at the moment, and he intended to respect her wishes. He even understood to an extent. This whole situation had thrown them for a loop. He could be patient.

Tony stood at the controls once everything was ready. He had checked and double-checked everything a final time. "We're going to start with the earliest memory. I should warn you, it could be a repressed memory, and with your history, it might not be something you want to remember. We'll move from it to the last mission in your shared memories. It's going to be visible to all of us. Can't be helped. If there's something delicate you'd rather mention before we see it, now is the time to speak up."

"Just turn on the machine, Tony. Let's get this over with," Natasha said.

"The sooner the better," the new one added.

Steve watched the women exchange sad smiles, and it made his heart ache. Neither of them wanted to be a clone, but the compassion he had come to see in his Natasha was evident in both faces. If things went according to plan, they'd have their answers, and one would have to face a harsh reality. He just hoped he would be able to help with the aftermath.

His eyes wandered over his Natasha's form. She had a look of resignation on her face that he hadn't seen since the days following their trip to kill Thanos. She believed she was the clone. He could see it behind her carefully guarded mask. She always expected the worst case scenario, and she never shied away from it. As far as she'd come, she still didn't understand she deserved better. He was going to fix that as soon as they figured out what to do about this.

Tony's voice started the countdown. "Going in 3, 2, 1."

_Little Natasha couldn't have been more than 3 or 4. She was in a woman's arms. The woman was crying as she rocked the child back and forth. A redheaded man with a well-trimmed beard rushed into the room. He was wearing an overcoat, snow flakes fell from his head as he leaned down and placed his hand on Natasha's cheek before speaking to the woman. "They're coming, Sonya. We have to hurry."_

"_Where can we run, Ivan? She's so small and frail. We can't just run into the blizzard," the woman said, the shakiness of her voice conveying her intense fear._

"_We don't have a choice. They know what we've done. They'll kill us. Do you think they'll spare our child? You know what they do with children of traitors, especially little girls." He stopped speaking. Voices could be heard from outside. His eyes filled with fear. "It's too late."_

_The door burst open, bullets fired, and Ivan fell to the ground as the scene ended._

Steve rushed to the side of the woman he loved. He wanted to unplug the wires and pull her into his arms, but she shook her head. "We need to keep going," she said firmly.

"She's right," Tony said. "The readings were identical. I can't make a determination based on this memory. The next one will be the last one you shared. Need a minute?"

"No," the two Natashas said simultaneously.

"Alright, here we go. 3, 2, 1."

_Natasha was in the co-pilot seat of a quinjet. Rumalow was beside her talking about Monday night football, but Natasha was uninterested, too busy looking over the intel for their mission to even acknowledge him. He appeared annoyed of her lack of interest. "Heard you're getting stuck on babysitting duty when Rogers shows up next month. That's got to sting. Fury's favorite field operative getting demoted to handler. You must have been fit to be tied, or are you looking forward to a new conquest? Fury tell you to bed him? I bet he did. Gain Captain America's trust the old-fashioned way, just like you were taught."_

_Natasha jerked her head up from the screen, a flash of annoyance on her face. "Captain Rogers is one of the reasons you aren't Loki's slave, and I'm another. Be careful what you're implying."_

"_Easy, Romanoff. Just making small talk. The old guy probably hasn't seen any action in seventy years. He'll be an easy mark. You'll have him putty in Fury's hands in no time."_

_Natasha punched Rumalow in the face. He shook his head and wiped a trickle of blood from his nose. "I almost felt bad about what I'm going to do to you. Thanks for making my job so much easier."_

_Someone slipped in behind Natasha and injected a drug into her neck. The memory ended._

"Rumalow," Steve said. "Who else was on that mission?"

The other Natasha answered first. "We were supposed to be alone. It was a quick in and out to retrieve intel. I don't remember being drugged."

"This must be how they did it. Rumalow was Hydra," Natasha said. "He's dead."

"Good, saves us a step," the other Natasha said. "I never liked him."

Two memories started playing simultaneously. In one, Rumalow was shaking Natasha. "You were sleeping awfully hard. Rendezvous in ten. Gear up." A woozy Natasha stretched and walked towards the back of the quinjet.

Inches away from the first scene, a second Natasha woke up as her chamber opened. Madame B and ttwo henchmen stood beside her. Natasha jumped up and attacked the nearest henchman. "I won't work for you again. You'll have to kill me, and I'm not going to make it easy."

Madame B nodded to the second. He shot Natasha with a tranquilizer. As she started to drift, Madame B's voice could be heard. "This clone is as unstable as the others. Until we can wipe memories of Shield from her head, she's of no use to me."

As they faded, the room was silent. Tony looked sorrowfully at the screen. The two Natashas stared at each other, oblivious to what was going on around them. Steve couldn't take the anticipation any longer. "Whose memory was that?" he asked, pointing to where Madame B had stood moments before.

Neither woman answered at first. Natasha sat up and started removing the wires connecting her to the machine. The newly rescued Natasha did the same. Tony finally cleared his throat. "We brought back a clone."

Relief flooded Steve. "So, Nat isn't a clone?"

"Sounds like they never managed a fully operational clone they could put in the field. I'll have to go over the rest of the information when Rhodey gets back, but it's a pretty safe bet she's the original."

Steve looked at Natasha. She didn't seem as relieved as he expected. If anything, she was even more perplexed. The women were standing face to face, caught up in a silent exchange he didn't understand.

"You made a promise," the clone said. "I expect you to keep it."

"Preference in how?" Natasha asked, sorrow in her voice.

"Snap the neck. Quick and clean. I won't fight back."

Natasha moved towards the clone as Steve realized what was happening. Tony must have caught on, too, because he was on his heals. Steve grabbed Natasha, tackling her to the ground, as Tony cuffed the clone.

"Told you they wouldn't do what had to be done," the clone said.

Steve was on top of Natasha. They were chest to chest, but she wouldn't look him in the eye. "You were going to kill her, and she was going to let you. This was your plan all along."

"Neither of us wanted to be the clone, but yes," she said.

"And, if it had gone the other way? Were you going to let her kill you without even giving me a chance to say goodbye? Did you even think about our child?"

Natasha didn't answer. Steve stood and picked up the second set of cuffs. She didn't even resist as he roughly cuffed her hands behind her back.

"You're a mother?" her clone asked. "That's not supposed to be possible. You should have told me."

"You said it yourself," Natasha whispered. "I'm way more compromised than I was when they created you. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to do what had to be done if you knew everything."

"And, afraid I'd use her against you if I was under their control." The clone turned her attention to Tony. "You should have let her kill me. You only delayed the inevitable. I won't risk the team or her family over whatever programming may be in my head."

"Good," Tony said, "because I'm not risking them either. I thought we were all in agreement. I'm in charge of this mission. Isn't that what Red said, Cap?"

"It is," Steve said, still unable to take his eyes off of Natasha.

"So, silly me, I would have assumed something as serious as murdering an innocent woman would have at least been run past me at some point."

"Tony-" Natasha began.

"Stark-" the clone chimed in.

"Nope, my mission. I'm in charge. No talking, just listening. T'Challa's little sister's tech is in the other room-the same technology she used to deprogram the man who killed my parents. And, we are going to use it to search for and remove any triggers that could ever be activated. Nobody has to die today."

"You can save her?" Natasha asked.

"I think so. Judging by your erratic behavior a few minutes ago, I think we should look through your brain while we're at it. Red, can you honestly tell me you want more blood on your hands. She's an innocent woman. She saved Cap from the crazy version of you."

"Innocent isn't a word I'd use to describe me," the clone said.

"But, it's technically accurate," Natasha said. "Everything you think you did, the hospital fire, the children, none of it was you. It was me. Tony's plan is solid. I should have thought of it myself. It's what saved the Winter Soldier, turned him back into the man he was before Hydra got a hold of him. You can have a real life."

"You'd be okay with that? I'm a copy of you-a cheap imitation created by the people who killed your parents and turned you into a weapon."

"You deserve a chance to live your life. You haven't really done that yet. I think we can move past the weirdness in time. I want to try."

Steve stared at Natasha. Eventually, she raised her eyes and looked at him "I knew I could die, because I knew you'd take care of Sophie. I didn't want to say goodbye to you, but if there was a chance I could hurt you, I couldn't take it. I'm sorry."

"We agreed to do this together, Nat. You tried to take that option away."

"I know. I didn't know what else to do."

"Can you guys work out your personal issues after we've made sure the Red Room didn't manage to leave behind any surprises? We should get into the other lab and finish this madness. I'd like to tell my wife her genius husband saved the day again," Tony said, earning him a raised eyebrow from the clone. "That surprised Pepper finally said yes? Sheesh."

**Hope this answered most of the really important questions. No cliffhanger today, but more to come. Steve and Natasha are not in a good place. Will they figure out how to move forward?**


	9. Chapter 9

Natasha slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. She was a little disoriented at first, but it didn't take long for the memories to start flooding back. She started to sit up.

"Easy, you've been out quite awhile," Tony said, taking a seat beside her.

"How long?"

"2 days. You're clear. No code words. No secret programming."

"And her?" She asked, looking over at her sleeping duplicate.

"So far as good, but I started with you. We should be able to wake her sometime tomorrow."

"Thank you for everything, Tony. Under the circumstances, you could have said no."

"Yeah, well, maybe I like the idea of my daughter growing up in a world where the Avengers can get along well enough to keep it safe, but I'm not coming out of retirement. I promised Pepper, and this is one promise I plan on keeping. But, what you're doing here is important. You've kept things going fine without the rest of us. Had to be hard shouldering all that responsibility."

"It wasn't so bad. Keeping busy helps me cope."

"Doesn't give you much time to enjoy what you've been given. Maybe she can help."

"What makes you think she'll want to stick around?" Natasha asked.

"Just a hunch. You've got some time. Maybe you should go see your kid and make nice with Cap. He cares about you, you know."

Natasha nodded. She was desperate to see Sophie. Steve was another story. She hurt him. The anger in his eyes when he realized she'd made a deal with her counterpart was almost more than she could bear. She should have known he'd find a way. She should have had more faith. He'd see it as a betrayal, and his moral compass probably wouldn't let her off the hook easily.

She heard Sophie's voice before she even made it into the shared living room. "No! I want Mommy. Leave me alone."

Natasha's heart broke for the little girl as her thoughts turned to Yelena. Did her friend know she was raising a clone? Regardless, Sophie adored her mother and missed her. Yelena must have done something right. She braced herself as she entered the room to help Steve deal with the tantrum.

Sophie saw her immediately and ran across the room, launching herself into Natasha's arms. "Mommy, you came back," she said, her little arms clinging to Natasha.

It took a moment for Natasha to recover her voice. Sophie had never called her anything but Widow. While she'd been fine with the child's choice in names, there was something amazing and right about hearing her say mommy. Natasha held the child close and looked at Steve, trying to gauge his reaction. He didn't seem surprised, but he didn't look like her was entirely eager to talk to her, either. Natasha placed a kiss on the crown of Sophie's head. "I'm here, Sophie. Mommy's here."

"Daddy said you'd be back today, but I thought he was lying. I missed you so much. Don't go away again," the child said, tears still streaming down her face. "I thought I lost another mommy."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't even say goodbye."

Sophie's words stung, reminding Natasha of her last conversation with Steve. She'd come close to losing everything again, and now she had so much more to lose. She couldn't risk putting Sophie through anything like this again. It was time to make some changes, first to her way of thinking and then to the team. As far as Sophie was concerned, Natasha had been gone nearly a week. The little girl could never know she hadn't even left the compound. She couldn't know a lot of things.

"I was trying to talk Sophie into eating her dinner," Steve said, breaking the moment between mother and daughter. "Maybe she'll do it for you."

"I'm ready to eat now," Sophie said. "Sorry, Daddy."

So, she wasn't the only one who'd gotten a name change in the last week. Natasha smiled at Steve. He didn't smile back, but he did look her in the eyes for a moment before turning his attention to their little girl. "Go wash up. Mommy and I will meet you in the kitchen."

Sophie, her tantrum obviously forgotten, took off to do as she was told leaving Natasha alone with Steve. "Hi," Natasha said, completely unsure of where to start her apology.

"Hi, sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. She's been a handful the last few days," he said, finally making eye contact.

"You're not the one who needs to apologize. Steve, I really didn't see another way, but I know how it must have made you feel to-"

"No, Nat, I don't think you have a clue how I felt. What exactly was I supposed to tell Sophie if you hadn't been the one left standing?"

"Hopefully, you wouldn't have told her anything. I really thought it over while I was sitting in that cell. I was sure I was a copy, but she would have taken care of Sophie after you explained. I knew it."

"So just replace you? That was your master plan? You've got to be kidding me. Sophie would have known the difference. And, what about us? Was she supposed to replace you there, too?"

"If I hadn't been who I thought I was, we wouldn't have had a chance."

Steve looked away. "You're wrong. I didn't care whether you were a clone or not. I just wanted it over, so we could be together. You asked me once if I trusted you. Do you remember what I said?"

"You said, 'I do now.' It meant more to me than you could ever know, Steve. I get it. You don't trust me right now, but I did what I thought was right."

"Your version of what's right and mine are very different things, but Sophie doesn't need to see us fight. We should table this until she goes to bed. This conversation isn't over."

Natasha didn't bother answering. She just followed him to the table. Tony had made himself scarce, so the little family could reconnect. Natasha wasn't sure if his absence was a blessing or a curse.

Steve didn't talk much through the meal, but Sophie didn't notice. She kept the conversation going for all of them. "Where were you, Mommy? Why did it take so long. Were you being a hero?"

Natasha glanced across the table at Steve. He didn't even look up from his plate. "Not this time," she finally said, "Your daddy and Uncle Tony did the hero work."

"Then why were you gone?"

"Someone important from my past showed up. It took us a few days to reconnect," Natasha said, grateful it wasn't a complete lie but not sure how she was going to explain the other her to a little girl. A lot of it would depend on her clone's plans, and she wasn't really sure what those might be at the moment. "I think we'll save the hero work for Rhodey. I don't want to be anywhere but here with you and your daddy." This time Steve looked up briefly. She smiled, but he didn't return it. Regaining his trust was going to take a lot of effort. She just hoped she was up to the challenge.

Steve went to check in with Tony after they ate, so Natasha put on _Frozen _and cuddled up on the couch with Sophie. "Elsa should be nice to her sister," Sophie said. "They only have each other. I wish I had a sister, but she'd probably have just been blipped away. The Blip took Hailie's sister right out of her crib."

Natasha recognized the name. Hailie was a little girl in Sophie's class. Natasha ached that the Blip was such a big part of children so young's reality. It wasn't often that Sophie talked about what had happened, and it was never a topic she or Steve brought up in Sophie's presence. "It must have been hard for Hailie," she said. "We all lost people we loved that day."

"I thought it happened again, and you got blipped, too. Don't get blipped, Mommy. I'd miss you too much."

"The blip won't happen again. Daddy and I made sure the one responsible can never hurt anyone ever again. I can't promise nothing bad will ever happen to us, but I promise it won't be anything like the Blip, okay?"

"Okay," Sophie said, yawning as she went back to watching her movie. She was asleep a few minutes later, and Natasha took a minute to really look at Sophie's features. How could she have missed the resemblance? She saw her own nose, her red curls. Sophie even made some of the same expressions she made.

Natasha thought about the, memory of her parents. She'd been about Sophie's age. It was odd to realize they'd loved her as much as she loved Sophie. Whatever they'd done to put them in the KGB's crosshairs had taken away her chance for a normal life. She had to make sure Sophie never experienced that kind of loss again. As she scooped the sleeping girl into her arms and started up the stairs, she made a decision. She was going to do everything in her power to stay alive, even if it meant really retiring from the Avengers. If she could command from the compound, she'd do it, but her life wasn't her own now. No more risking her neck or throwing away her second chance, she was going to live long enough to raise her daughter even if her instincts said otherwise.

Steve knocked on her bedroom door a few minutes after Natasha tucked Sophie in for the night. He was already dressed for bed, so she figured he planned on staying and talking things out. That was a good sign anyway. "Tony said things look fine with our guest," he said.

Natasha just nodded and stepped aside, so he could come in to her room. "I'm glad he had Shuri's equipment. I was thinking about asking her to join Rhodey. Maybe if she were with him, they could figure out whether Clint is really behind the killings. She could save him."

"She does have your memories. Figures that she'd want to try."

"And, afterward, maybe she could take my place on the team," she said, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Your place?"

"Sophie thought I was blipped away. I made a decision that could have taken me away from her. It's time to quit. You're done. Thor, Bruce, Tony, and Clint are out. I couldn't stop, because I didn't trust anyone else to do the job. She's basically me, just not as compromised."

"You sure you're okay with handing the reigns over to your clone?"

"It's not like I don't have other responsibilities. My work with the kids is a full-time job. Sophie needs a mom, and, hopefully, in time, you'll trust me enough to-" she paused. "I'm not good at apologies and even worse at relationships. If it's too little, too late, just tell me now. We promised whatever happened, we'd still be in each other's life. I don't know what else to say, Steve. It happened. I made the bargain with my lookalike. I would have let her kill me, just like she was willing to let me kill her. It was my idea-all mine. If we can't move past this, I need to know so I can figure out how to stop loving you."

"You love me?" he asked.

Natasha didn't get to answer. There was a knock on her door followed by a sleepy little girl entering the room, pillow in hand. "I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you, Mommy?"

Natasha couldn't tell her no. Sophie was finally seeking them out for comfort. She finally felt secure. "Of course, baby. Climb in bed." She looked at Steve. "I guess we'll have to table this conversation a little longer."

"Yeah, I guess we will," he said before taking her hand, "did you mean what you said?"

"I didn't mean to say it like that, but yes."

"Don't figure out a way to stop before we get to finish this conversation."

Natasha smiled. "Stay?"

Steve just nodded, and they climbed into bed beside their daughter. They'd figure out the rest later.


	10. Chapter 10

A tiny arm was clutching her t-shirt when Natasha woke up the next morning. The little girl had scooted her direction in the night trying to get as close to her as possible, and it completely melted Natasha's heart. She was determined to give Sophie the childhood she hadn't had and terrified by the amount of trust the child had bestowed on her.

It was still early, so Natasha was surprised and a little disappointed to see Steve's side of the bed empty. Telling him she loved him wasn't part of the plan, at least not while he was still angry. His response was encouraging, but the timing was awful. It would have been easier to realize how she felt at almost any other time in the last several years.

Right now, she had bigger priorities. One of them was currently clinging to her like she was her lifeline. The other would be waking up in the next few hours, probably still a little shell-shocked from the bombshell they'd just received.

Natasha glanced at the clock. It was not quite 6. It was a Friday, but after being away from Sophie for so many days, she'd already decided missing a day of preschool wouldn't hurt anything. She eased out of Sophie's grasp and went to get ready for the day.

Sophie was still sleeping soundly when she finished her shower, so she went down to the kitchen. She'd just started breakfast when Steve came in from his run. She raised an eyebrow at him as he kissed her cheek before reaching over her for a banana. "You haven't gone for a morning run in awhile," she said, opting not to mention the tender gesture.

"Thought I should get back to training," he said, "just in case."

"Thinking about coming out of retirement?"

"Tony gave me my shield before we hit the lab. I won't deny it felt good to use it again, but with you ready to stop-"

"My decision doesn't have to weigh in on yours, Steve. It shouldn't. I need to stop, because I don't trust myself to make the right calls. Sophie needs the security of knowing at least one of her parents will be here at the end of the day. It was my choice for that to be me. The world's still reeling. Seeing you out there with your shield could give them a little hope."

"You wouldn't be upset if I decided to rejoin the team?"

"You're the leader. I was just the place holder," she said, going back to cracking the eggs.

"You were never just a place holder. You've been doing it all for months. I'm all for you not going back in the field, at least not for a while, but the shoes you've been filling weren't really mine. They were Fury's. I'd like to work for a Fury I could trust to do the right thing."

Natasha stopped and turned to face Steve. "Thought we established you don't trust me right now."

"I don't trust you to protect yourself and not make the sacrifice play, but there's no one I trust more to send us where we need to be to keep the world safe."

"I never wanted Fury's job."

"Probably why you're the only one qualified to do it. Tony and Rhodey agree with me, for the record."

Natasha just nodded. There was no even reason to argue. If he was going back out there, she didn't really want anyone else calling the shots. "Should we finish that conversation now?"

"If we start, we'll just get interrupted," he said. "It can wait, but you should probably know I love you, too."

She couldn't help but smile. "Good to know. I didn't want to hurt you. It's the last thing I'd ever want to do. I didn't realize I was in love with you until I was in that cell."

"Well, that makes two of us, but I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you for a long time. Eventually, we're going to have to have that dinner, but it can wait until things settle down. Knowing you love me, too, is enough."

"Sorry to interrupt," Friday said, "but our guest should wake up in the next fifteen minutes, Agent Romanoff."

"Thank you, Friday. I'm on my way."

"Easy," Natasha said as her clone started to move, "it's normal to feel disoriented."

The other woman turned to look her direction. "Damn, I was hoping it was a dream."

"Afraid not," Natasha said, taking a step closer. "Tony did a thorough search. You're in the clear. The Red Room didn't leave any trigger words. You're free."

The woman slowly sat up, so Natasha handed her a glass of water. "I guess I should be grateful for small favors."

"Agreed," Natasha said. "When you've eaten, I'll brief you on what you've missed. I've got a proposition for you."

"You're last proposition was a suicide pack. I hope the new one is better."

"How about a job offer? You were right about Clint. He's not okay. I have Rhodey tracking him, but he's always a step behind," she paused. "We think he's working as a vigilante. Wherever he goes, very bad people end up dead. He's lost. I can't drop everything and go."

"Because of your family and that job," the other woman said. "Responsibilities I don't have."

"He needs one of us. It should be you. Clint and I hadn't seen each other in over two years when Thanos happened. We talked over the dark web, but it wasn't the same. He was on house arrest. I was a fugitive on the run with Steve and a few others. We fought before I got myself on the most wanted list. It was a rough day. Tony and I sided with the U.N. Clint sided with Steve. In the end, I did, too, but our conflict cost the world it's protection. We made some tactical errors that led to Thanos's victory. All I'm saying is Clint might not be thrilled to see me. He wasn't there when we fought Thanos. I didn't even keep him in the loop, because I didn't want him to lose the deal he'd made. You could probably help him more than I could. Your memories don't include the bad times."

"So, it wasn't just your responsibilities and love life keeping you from going after Clint. You're afraid he'll blame you for Laura and the kids."

"Without a way to bring them back, I can't help him. Maybe you can. And, when you get back, you can take your rightful spot on the Avengers."

"I don't have a rightful spot. I'm just a clone."

"The Avengers need someone with our level of expertise on the ground, and you said it yourself, I'm compromised. I'll handle things from here. I collect intel from all over the galaxy, but I have to think about Sophie. Steve's Captain America. He needs to fight. One of us needs to stop. I didn't have the luxury before, because I didn't trust anyone else to do it."

"But you trust me? You don't even know me."

"Don't I? Every memory you have resides in my head, too. If you don't want the job, don't take it. Find Clint and go back to the farm. Try to have a normal life if you want, but we both know you won't be happy doing anything else."

"You're not wrong. I need a new alias. We should come up with a cover story."

"Sisters?"

"It seems plausible. You can say you finally found me and I defected. If people think we were trained together, it'll explain my skillset.

"Name?" Natasha asked.

"I'd like to have something real. Our mother's name was Sonya. I never knew that before. I think I'd like to use her name."

Natasha smiled. "Sonya Romanoff, it works for you. I'd like for you to meet Sophie if you feel up to it, but I should probably tell you the whole story. Steve and I aren't her biological parents. She's one of us, a clone who was with Yelena until the decimation. She doesn't know the truth. No one can know the truth about either of you."

"This is going to be a very interesting debrief," Sonya said. "Thank you for giving me the chance. Yelena really hated us to keep her away."

"No, I don't think she did it for the wrong reasons. She was hiding from them. It's another one of the many things I need to catch you up on, I guess. Steve's in the kitchen. Sophie's probably awake and talking his ear off. Ready to meet her?"

Sophie gave them a confused look when they entered the kitchen, but she immediately looked straight at Natasha for answers. "Mommy, why does she have your face?"

Natasha cleared her throat and looked at Steve. He was right. Sophie could tell the difference. She hated lying to her daughter, but this was one truth a four year old didn't need. "Remember how I told you I was reconnecting with someone from my past?" The child nodded. "Sophie, this is my sister, Sonya. She's going to help us keep people safe. Isn't that nice?"

Sophie grinned. "You a hero, too?"

When Sonya didn't immediately answer, Steve did it for her. "She sure is, Sophie. She help me and Uncle Tony last week. Why don't you find Aunt Sonya a seat at the table? We'll have breakfast together."

Sonya only hesitated a moment after Sophie wrapped her little arms around her. Natasha recognized the look on her face. She'd felt it herself. "Lila and Cooper would want you to move on. You can love Sophie without taking anything away from them."

"I think I'm beginning to see why it was so easy for you to be compromised. You've got a good thing going here. They were wrong. You do have a place in this world-a family."

"We have a family," Natasha corrected. "I know it's an unusual situation, but when have we ever done things the normal way. Eat, we'll talk more, then I'll contact Rhodey. He should be finished unloading the contents of the secret lab into Tony's workshop at the lake. You can look for Clint, and I'll keep you updated on Tony's findings."

By the end of the day, the only ones left at the compound were Steve, Natasha, and Sophie. Natasha was grateful for the quiet, and Sophie seemed more settled when she tucked her in for the night. Natasha almost knocked on Steve's door on her way to her own, but she thought better of it. She didn't trust herself to take things slow now that she knew he felt the same way. Instead, she moved on to her own room.

The light was on when she arrived and Steve was sitting in her chair. He was already dressed for bed, and it didn't take a Rocket scientist to realize he intended to stay with her. "Thought we might be clear of interruptions," he said.

"Guess we need to finish our argument so we can move on."

"Or, not," Steve said, standing and clearing the distance between them in a few long strides. Before Natasha could formulate a reply, he was kissing her and she was kissing him back. When they stopped for air, he placed another kiss on her cheek. "I don't want to waste any more time, but if you still need to go slow-"

She shut him up with a kiss. "I'd rather kiss than argue. I don't need time. I just need you."


	11. Chapter 11

Steve was still holding Natasha in his arms when his eyes opened the next morning. He had no desire to let her go ever again, so he just pulled her even closer to his chest and rubbed small circles over her back. He felt the change in her breathing as she moved from sleeping to waking, but he didn't stop caressing her.

"A girl could get used to waking up like this," she said, tilting her head so she could look into his eye.

"Feel free to get used to it, because I'm not going anywhere," he said. Angling her face so he could reach her lips, he kissed her. The slow, tender kisses were just becoming passionate when the door opened.

"Why are you kissing?" Sophie asked. "You'll get cooties."

Steve was mortified. He was grateful they were at least fully clothed. He started mentally searching for the right words to say to their daughter, while Natasha laughed. "So much for keeping this to ourselves," she said before turning her attention to the little girl. "Where did you hear about cooties?"

"School."

"The things they're teaching these days," Natasha said, a grin on her face. "Well, you don't have to worry. Daddy and I don't have cooties. We just love each other."

"And me?"

"And, you," Natasha said, scooping the little girl up and heading for the door. "Let's give Daddy a minute to regain his composure and go see what we can find for breakfast."

Natasha winked at him as she left the room. He knew she was completely aware of why he needed a minute. She looked happy though, and he was pretty pleased with himself for being part of the reason. If he had known he could make her this happy, he'd have kissed her senseless years ago.

Sam was right. Sam always hinted they should just "get a room and get on with it", but Natasha would crack a joke or make some old man comment. The moment would pass and they'd just keep being partners. Steve wished Sam was here now. He'd gladly listen to his friend's gloating. He missed him. He missed all of them, but the pain was fading. He knew it was supposed to get easier. He told his support group it would all the time, but having Sophie around and taking the next step with Natasha did what talking in a circle never could.

After a quick shower, he joined his family at the breakfast table. Sophie was eating a bowl of cereal and talking Natasha's ear off. Natasha was drinking a cup of coffee and just listening to the child's story. Steve poured himself a cup of coffee and joined them.

"Daddy, Mommy said you were sleeping in her room from now on. Can I help you move your stuff?" Sophie asked.

Natasha just took another sip of her coffee. They hadn't discussed a move the night before, but he definitely liked the idea. Things had gone from a snail pace to full speed ahead, and Steve was ready for the ride. "Sure, we can do it after breakfast." Natasha didn't say a word. She just winked at him, stood up, and went to get the toast out of the toaster. "Sophie, if I can get someone to stay with you tonight, do you mind if Daddy takes Mommy on a date?"

"Why can't I go?"

"Well, dates are special. Only people can go on a date," he said.

"That's okay. Mommy can stay with the sitter, and you and me can go on the date. Is that okay, Mommy? Or, should Daddy stay with the sitter?"

"This date is for Mommy and Daddy only," Natasha said, "but next weekend, we'll have a family date and go somewhere together. If your done eating, go upstairs and get ready for the day."

"Yes, Mommy, the little girl said as she hopped up to do what she was told.

"So, moving day?" Steve asked.

"Unless it's too soon. I was just telling Sophie not to be surprised if she found you in my room. I didn't mean to force you into something you're not ready for."

"Oh, I'm ready if you are," Steve said. "We shared more cramped quarters on the run, and I sleep better with you beside me."

"Me too. Is it awful that I feel happy? It hasn't even been a year."

"I know. I feel a little guilty, too. Just not guilty enough to do anything about it. If we just dwell on what we lost, we aren't doing anyone any favors. It would be another victory for Thanos. Neither of us wants that, right?"

"Wouldn't want to give him another victory," she said, a small smile on her face.

"I was thinking, maybe we have our loophole for Sophie's adoption with the DNA test. You could say she's your daughter. Less paperwork. She could be legally yours."

"No, the DNA results can't be made public without the risk of someone knowing where she came from. Honestly, my name should be left off of the paperwork. Our best chance at hiding the truth is for you to adopt Sophie as a single parent. We can keep my name out of it."

"Not going to happen. We'll just keep waiting for a waver. You deserve to be her mom in every sense of the word."

"Pepper has her best people on it. If there's a way, they'll find it."

Steve's phone rang before they'd even finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes. "Hi, Tony. What have you learned?"

"More than any of us wanted to know. Any chance you, Red, and the munchkin can come to the house? You're going to want to see what I've found. It's big."

"On our way."

"Pack a bag. I'll make sure the guest rooms are ready."

Steve gave Natasha an apologetic frown as he hung up the phone. "Guess our dinner date just got postponed. Tony found something."

"Any idea what?"

"No, but he said it was big."

* * *

Natasha watched the footage of her old friend being strapped down to the table. She knew what was coming. She'd been strapped to a similar table herself, but when they did this to her it was to prevent pregnancy. With Yelena, they were transferring the embryo that would become Sophie into her womb.

Yelena didn't even speak. She was far too broken. They'd tortured her for failing to kill Natasha. Her lip was busted. Her arm was broken. Both eyes were blackened. This was the price she paid for going back to her unfinished business, and Natasha hadn't looked hard enough to find her and help her. Guilt ate Natasha as the video continued. Finally, she couldn't watch any more. She stopped the playback. "This isn't exactly big news," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "I assumed Yelena wasn't working for them when they used her to carry Sophie. You could have just told us over the phone."

"Believe me, this isn't the big news. Hit play again. You'll know it when you see it, Red. For the record, I'm sorry I even found this out."

The video resumed. A voice could be heard from off camera. He was speaking English, and the accent was American. "How's the progress coming on our other project?"

"I've got someone acquiring the sample. The Captain is in Germany. He may as well be alone. His companion is useless without his wings. We've put our best operative on him," Madame B said.

"You're best operative works with him now. Are you completely certain the Black Widow isn't in Germany?"

"Yes, we know exactly where she is and she won't be an issue to our operation. No one will be the wiser. Our operative will seduce him, drug him with a concoction powerful enough to drop even a super soldier, and collect the sample. Once we've achieved the perfect mix, we'll begin."

"And, your certain the product will possess Erskine's formula?"

"Without a doubt, it will be even stronger than Captain America. Ivan may have turned his back on Russia, but his brilliance in genetics was unsurpassed. He theorized any child born to the American captain would have had potential. We searched for years for a hidden offspring. There were none. With our continued research, we deduced that a child born with both super soldiers serums in its blood and trained from the beginning will be unstoppable. Imagine it, the child of the Black Widow and Captain America fighting for us."

"So, that's the reason for this little experiment. You want to see if an infant with the serum will thrive before moving forward?" the man said coming into view of the camera. Natasha recognized Gideon Malik immediately. "Carry on and keep me informed."

Tony stopped the playback. "Guess your wondering whether they got their hands on Capsicle's super semen."

Natasha gave Tony a dirty look, but Steve spoke before she had the chance. "Pretty sure the answer to that question is yes." Natasha raised an eyebrow at him. "It's not like we were together at the time. You're last words to me were about calling Sharon. A pretty brunette was in trouble. I rescued her, or thought I was rescuing her, from a group of men who had ill intentions. She was grateful, wanted to take me to dinner the next night. Guess you can figure out the rest. I woke up the next morning with a slight headache, and she was gone. I never saw her again."

"Normally, I'd be impressed," Tony said, "but you're right. They got what they needed."

"Where is the child?" Natasha asked, her heart pounding. If this was over five years ago, there was no telling what they'd put the child through.

"Easy, Red, things didn't go completely as planned. When Yelena escaped, they lost the unborn clone, sorry, Sophie. They didn't want to risk this prize. They went back to the drawing board and created a smaller version of the cloning pod capable of acting as an artificial womb. It wasn't ready until almost 2 years ago."

"No," Steve shouted. "Tell me it wasn't-t-"

"The first one you opened? I can't, Cap. I'm sorry," Tony said, lowering his voice. "A girl, almost at full gestation. Dust when we found her."


	12. Chapter 12

Natasha cautiously opened the guest room door. Steve had been in there alone for hours. She knew exactly what was going on in his head. Her own mind was pretty muddled at the moment, too, but she was so much better at compartmentalizing. She found him sitting on the bed, his t-shirt beside him. From the looks of things, he'd taken a shower at some point, but he hadn't had the strength to finish getting ready.

"Tony and Pepper took Sophie to dinner. Pepper was craving a cheeseburger. They're bringing us something back," she said, picking up his shirt and motioning for him to raise his arms.

Steve took the hint and let her help him pull the shirt over his head. "I don't think I'm hungry."

"With your metabolism, you're always hungry."

"I'm sorry, Nat. This is my fault."

"I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion. Why don't you enlighten?"

"If I hadn't gotten involved with that woman, they never would have gotten what they needed from me."

"I see. So, you're apologizing for falling into the trap of a woman trained practically from birth in the art of seduction? Oh, Steve, you were no match for her." Steve gave her a frown. "Seriously. You would have been an easy target for me in those days. I considered it, you know. Fury's orders were to make you trust Shield. He didn't get more specific. He didn't need to. He knew I'd do whatever it took. You saw my memories in the quinjet. I didn't get mad because Rumalow suggested something I wouldn't do. I got mad, because he wasn't completely off the mark."

"But, you didn't."

"No, you needed a friend, and it turns out, I did, too. All I'm saying is you can't beat yourself up for something you couldn't have even seen coming. It happened. We honestly got lucky here. If Yelena hadn't run, our child would have been tormented in the Red Room before disappearing. Honestly, I'm grateful she was taken and not left in their hands when Thanos snapped his fingers."

"Don't stay that, Nat. We would have gotten her back," Steve said, his voice shaking.

"We didn't even know she existed. How would we have even known to look for her? There are worse things than death, Steve, and growing up there is one of them."

"You grew up there."

"So, I ought to know. I'm not saying we shouldn't grieve for our daughter. I wish things could have been different. I wish I could have seen your face the first time you held her in your arms or watched you intimidate her first boyfriend, but wishing doesn't change anything. We tried to get everyone back. It didn't work."

"And, we're back to move on."

"It's what you tell everyone else," she said, sitting beside him. "I think we're going to have to just be grateful for what we have."

"Sophie," Steve said.

"Each other," Natasha added.

"I love you, you know. I think I halfway loved you even back then. When I woke up that morning and she was gone, I felt guilty, and it had nothing to do with Peggy. It was you. You were my first kiss since 45."

"Oh, I know. It's the only time you ever lied to me. We'll get through this, Steve."

"We always do," he said leaning in to kiss her. "Can we give her a name? Maybe have a private memorial?"

"I think that would be nice."

"My mother's name was Sarah."

"Sarah Rogers," Natasha said aloud.

"Sarah Alianovna Rogers," Steve said. "You okay with that?"

"More than okay. It's perfect."

* * *

The next few months passed without incident. Steve and Natasha grew even closer. Sophie adjusted to their changed relationship without any issues. Natasha seemed to think the little girl even behaved better now that Mommy and Daddy were more connected, and Steve couldn't help but agree.

Another thing they agreed on was the need to keep Sophie's inherited serum a secret. Natasha's serum was much weaker than Steve's. Sophie could have a normal life and no one had to know the reason she never seemed to get the sniffles had to do with the serum in her veins. They'd share this information with Sophie, and only Sophie, when she was old enough for the full truth.

Sonya hadn't located Clint yet, but she was hot on his trail. She visited occasionally, but she and Rhodey stayed on the road more often than not, leaving the compound more of a family home than a base of operations. Steve loved it.

He'd donned the Shield a few times. There was a terror cell in Iceland, of all places, that had needed a little more than a strike team, but, for the most part, he still held his support group meetings and kept Sophie out of Natasha's office when she was trying to work. They had a good thing going, and Steve was grateful. They couldn't have their old world back, but they were making a new one together. It was more than enough.

Of course, currently Natasha was visiting a couple of children's homes on the other side of the country, so Steve kept his ear on the open channel and listened for trouble. Naturally that meant spending time in the room she'd claimed as her office. He wasn't snooping exactly, just looking for some paper to doodle a picture of Sophie on.

Steve opened a notebook sitting on Natasha's desk and was skimming through for an empty page when he saw the list. It was a pro and con list. He'd caught Natasha making them more than once through the years, but the title on this one made him pause.

_Baby for Steve_

_Pros_

_He's a great dad._

_Sophie wants a sibling._

_Over population is no longer an issue._

_Governments beginning to stabilize. _

_Most of my enemies are (probably) dead._

_The Red Room Pod makes it possible._

_Sarah is gone. We can't bring her back._

_Cons_

_Ethics of using the pod questionable._

_Super serum is a big responsibility for a child._

_There are a world full of children who need parents._

Steve reread it a few times. They rarely discussed what could have been with Sarah. Natasha seemed to want to leave that part of the past in the past, and he respected her wishes. He knew the forced sterilization was a sore topic for her. Even though she was a real trooper during Pepper's pregnancy and stood with him outside the delivery room holding her breath until she heard Morgan's first cry, he knew the ache was still there. He just didn't know she was considering this.

When Natasha came through the door late that night, Steve was still awake in their room. He had her notebook open on her side of the bed. She wrinkled her nose and picked it up. "I didn't want to mention it yet. I know you want a baby-"

"I don't," Steve said, "not really. I just wish we had that one. Sarah existed. Now, she doesn't. I failed her twice. I failed to prevent her from being created in the first place then I failed to stop Thanos."

"Steve-"

"Let me finish. We have Sophie. If you want more children, we can have them. We can use the crazy contraption the Red Room created and deal with whatever our serums add to the mix, but don't do it for me. Sophie's more than enough to keep us on our toes. If you think she needs a brother or sister, there are a lot of kids out there who don't have parents. Once Sophie's officially adopted, we can adopt again."

"You sure about this?"

"Completely."

Natasha crawled into the bed beside him. "Sophie is probably going to be the only one. Pepper called. No waiver for a couple of single people is going to be granted. I told her we'd get back to her on whose name should appear on the adoption paperwork."

"No waiver? I don't think that's an insurmountable problem. It has a pretty easy solution," Steve said. "We aren't a couple of single people. We're committed. There's no one for me but you, and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way."

"Of course I do. It's just paperwork. I want Sophie to have your name. I'll tell Pepper to use you for the paperwork. She'll still be ours."

"Tell her to wait a week and put both our names on it."

"Steve, they said no. We can't blast through this one."

"No, but we can get married. What do you say, Nat? We could get married Friday, leave Sophie with Tony and Pepper for a few days, have a nice honeymoon, and come home and adopt our little girl."

Natasha smiled. "Did you just propose to me as a way of getting around the red tape?"

"Well, um, it's not the only reason," Steve sputtered. "I mean-"

"Easy soldier, it's not a bad reason, and it's not the only reason I'm saying yes, either," she said, kissing him.

**This one is a little shorter. The last chapter left them in a bit of a mess. I thought we should end this one on a happier note.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I am sorry for the slight delay. Comic Con coverage stole my writing time. The Black Widow movie sounds incredible. I can't wait to see it. It's going to be bittersweet knowing how things end, but I'm just glad we get a little more Widow in Phase 4. **

**Now, I think it's time for a wedding.**

**Still don't own Marvel.**

"You want me to hold the ring?" Tony asked as Steve fiddled with his tie.

Steve nodded. "Thanks for agreeing to be my best man. After everything, I'm just glad you didn't say no."

"Let's not dwell on the past, not today. I'm not under any illusions I wouldn't have been your first or even second choice. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you lost them. Im sorry we lost all of them," Tony said, shooting Steve's hands away from his tie and taking over. Steve was grateful for the help. Usually Natasha would make sure his tie wasn't crooked, but Pepper insisted on maintaining tradition. He hadn't seen her since dinner time the night before.

"Thanks," Steve said, smiling slightly. "We appreciate you watching Sophie for a few days, too. If she gets to be too much of a handful-"

"I'll just take her to the workshop and let her play with some dangerous equipment. No worries," Tony said, returning the smile.

"I was going to say we'd come back early, but that'll work. You know we've never even gone on a real date. Things kept coming up."

"Yeah, I can see that. You guys aren't normal anyway. None of us are, but you and I are some of the lucky ones. We found wives who are just crazy enough to put up with us, and they're still here. We lost a lot, but we gained some things, too."

"I guess we did."

"Ready to get hitched?"

* * *

"More than ready."

"Almost there. If this curl will just stay where I put it," Pepper said, grabbing the hairspray from the vanity.

"It doesn't matter. I'm just ready to go to Steve," Natasha said, fidgeting with the sleeves on her wedding gown. They hadn't planned on a real wedding, but Pepper insisted. She thought wedding pictures of Captain America would bring a little joy to the masses, and Natasha couldn't argue that photos of them with Sophie, a child thought to be an orphan of the Snap, Natasha increase the number of families willing to take in the children.

"Correction," Pepper said, "you're almost ready. Still have to do another round of mascara. Don't worry. It's waterproof. Tears of joy are allowed today. You're happy, right?"

"Honestly? I'm happier than I deserve to be. I wish Sonya and Rhodes could have made it back."

"They would have if it weren't for that lead on Clint. Maybe they'll get to him before anything happens this time."

"I hope so. Part of me feels guilty for being happy when he's so lost."

"You have a luxury most people don't have. Sonya can look for him while you take care of things here. You trust her, right? I know it's an unusual situation."

"Emails from a raccoon in another galaxy hit my desk at least twice a week. Sonya doesn't seem all that unusual after all we've seen. I trust her. Talking to her on a regular basis has kind of helped both of us. I've never had anyone who fully understood where I came from. Yelena was close, but Sonya-"

"Is essentially you. With one pretty major exception," Pepper said, spraying Natasha's hair. "She isn't half an hour away from marrying Steve Rogers. You look beautiful. Happy's already left with Sophie and Morgan. Ready to go to the church?"

"So ready," Natasha said, still looking into the mirror. This was a day she never expected to see, and she wasn't going to let anything dampen her excitement.

They'd come so far since that day on the helicarrier, even further in the thirteen months since Thanos snapped his fingers. Maybe they hadn't been the heroes they wanted to be or maybe Thanos was just too strong. Thanos's victory may have broken them, but it didn't completely destroy them. They had a lot of reasons to move forward. Today was about celebrating those reasons.

"You didn't let Tony invite half of New York, did you?" Natasha asked as they started towards the car.

"On less than a week's notice? No, you're fine. It's a small intimate ceremony just like you wanted. Just ignore the news crews in the back of the church. They've been warned to leave you alone. Tony will handle the press conference afterward while the rest of us take off for the reception."

"Perfect. Thanks, Pepper."

The wedding was almost surreal for Natasha. With Pepper standing behind her holding Morgan in one arm and keeping a hand on a squirmy, excited Sophie's shoulder and Steve facing her, tears threatening to roll down his cheeks at any moment, Natasha felt loved and cherished. She felt like she'd finally truly found her place in the world, and she was eternally grateful it was at Steve's side. Tony's presence behind Steve was more comforting than she ever would have expected. Seeing the friendship restored between the two men had been something she didn't even dare wish for while they were on the run. It didn't escape her attention that the missing pieces of her family were part of the reason for that restoration, making the moment just a little bittersweet.

Wanda would have said an "I told you so" or two. She always wondered why Natasha was so insistent there was nothing between herself and Steve. Sam and Bucky would have argued over best man status, while Clint would have given her away, his family looking on from their seats. Natasha chose to believe they'd have all been happy to see this day arrive. If the tears that fell as she said her vows weren't just tears of happiness, but rather tears of regret they weren't there to share her happiness, she'd never tell. This was a day to be happy, and, despite everything, she truly was happy.

After they'd cut the cake and had their first dance, Natasha scooped Sophie up in her arms and twirled her around the dance floor a few times. The little girl was talking a mile a minute. "Mommy, this is the best day ever. I can't wait to grow up and marry Daddy. Will you be there?"

Natasha laughed. "Oh sweetie, you can't marry Daddy. You'll have to find your own true love."

"Is Daddy your true love, Mommy?"

"You know what, I didn't believe in love until I was all grown up, and I definitely didn't believe in true love. But, yes, I think your Daddy is the love of my life," she said, kissing her daughter's forehead. "I think you better make Daddy dance with you now. I'm going to check in with Aunt Pepper, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy," the little girl said as Natasha lowered her to the ground. She took off running towards Steve, while Natasha watched.

Pepper was at the table holding Morgan. "Give me my goddaughter and go dance with your husband."

"Are you sure? It's your wedding day. You should be dancing the night away," Pepper said, ignoring Natasha's outstretched hands.

"And, you didn't get a real wedding day. At least have your dance."

"It just seemed wrong with everything that had happened," Pepper frowned. "You know what, I think I'll take you up on your offer. Her pacifier is beside your phone."

Natasha nodded as she took Morgan into her arms. The little one wasn't too happy about being separated from her mother and started to fuss. Natasha reached for the pacifier and noticed several missed calls on her phone. She put the pacifier in Morgan's mouth and picked up the phone for a closer examination.

All the calls were from Sonya. Her heart raced as she dialed the number. "Sonya, it's me."

"Tasha, we found him. He's not in good shape. Rhodes and I managed to get him on the quinjet. We're headed home. Be there in a few hours. I know the timing is bad, but-"

"I'll be at the compound when you arrive. Steve will understand. It's Clint."

"I had a feeling you'd say that. He knows the truth, but I think he needs to see us together to really understand. He's not in a good place. Maybe Sophie shouldn't be there for this."

"No, probably not. If I can Shield her from at least some of the ugliness, I should. Thanks for the heads up. You did good."

"I did what I had to do. I just hope it was enough."

They had just hung up when Steve, Sophie, Tony, and Pepper arrived back at the table. Pepper took Morgan. "It's time for you guys to make your get away. Aruba and sandy beaches are waiting."

Natasha frowned. She watched Steve's face fall. He always knew how to read her. "I think Aruba is going to have to wait. They found Clint."

"You have to go to him," Steve said.

"Sonya and Rhodey are bringing him to us. I'm sorry. I know how important our trip was to you," Natasha said, biting her lip.

"Not more important than family. We'll just take our honeymoon later. Clint needs to know he still has people who care about him."

Natasha let the tears she had been holding back fall. "I love you so much, Steve. Thanks for understanding what he means to me."

"Without Clint, I wouldn't have you. Of course I understand," Steve said, wrapping his arms around her.


	14. Chapter 14

Natasha ran onto the quinjet before the trio even had time to exit. Rhodey looked at her and frowned. "He didn't exactly come willingly. We're going to have our hands full trying to piece him back together."

Natasha just nodded, gave Rhodey a quick hug of gratitude, and took off towards Clint. Sonya was beside him, obviously trying to convince him to exit the jet. Natasha couldn't stop the tears from running down her face as she wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

He didn't return her embrace. His expression stayed stoic as she pulled back enough to really look at him. No words came from his mouth. Sonya put a hand on Natasha's shoulder, pulling her a slight distance away from the grieving assassin. "We got there before he could act this time. No one outside of Rhodey's team knows it was Clint, and James has their respect. They won't say a word, not that anyone would care anyway."

"That's one worry off our plates. Has he spoken?"

"Very little. Just yes and no answers for the most part, but he confirmed what happened to the Laura and the kids. He was with them when they went, but he didn't know what happened until he watched the news. He left as soon as he put the grave markers under the tree. Been doing this ever since."

Natasha nodded. When she'd found the markers, she started digging like a mad woman, desperate to know whether they were victims of the Snap or some old enemy. Steve and Rhodey had pulled her away and finished the job themselves. It was the worst day of her life, and she had plenty to use for comparison. "You did good, Sonya. You got him home."

"Home? I don't have a home anymore," Clint said, finally breaking his silence. "On our wedding day, I told Laura she would always be my home. She's gone."

"You still have a place," Natasha said. "We're going to get you through this, Clint."

"We," Clint said, "interesting choice of words. When she told me the story, I didn't believe it. Seeing two of you, well, that's really something. I lost my wife and kids. You gained a husband, a kid, and a, what did she say? A sister? That's how you're selling this, right? You can't help me. You have the family you've always wanted. I have nothing."

Natasha pursed her lips. She wasn't sure how to respond. "We all lost people we loved that day. The first thing I did after the battle was call you. You didn't answer. We went to the farm as fast as we could, but you were gone. You lost Laura and the kids that day. I lost all of you. I know it's not the same, but you should have waited for me or answered my calls. We needed each other, Clint. You didn't have to do this alone."

"We haven't had each other in a long time. Not really."

"That's the grief talking. You had to make that deal to get back to Laura. There were no deals for me. It could only play out one way from the moment we went against Ross. You've always had me."

"And, you have me," Sonya said. "If anybody knows what lost looks like, it's us, and your lost, Clint. Let us bring you back. Give us the chance to try."

It took awhile to get Clint settled. Neither woman had any desire to leave his side. No one said much, but Natasha and Sonya exchanged looks often enough for Natasha to know they were on the same page. Clint was a danger to himself. He didn't need to be alone.

"He's finally sleeping," Sonya said. "I'll stay with him. It's supposed to be your wedding night go to Cap."

"You were on duty the whole trip back. I'll take watch. Besides, I'm sure Rhodey is planning on rejoining his team in the morning. If you need to say goodbye-"

"I'd ask how you figured it out, but I guess it's a little hard to keep secrets from yourself. It's still new. We aren't labeling it. James doesn't expect to see me tonight. He know what Clint means to me."

Steve understands, too. He's probably sound asleep anyway. For the record, it was you slipping and calling him James. Rhodey and Steve are a lot alike. They're good men who put what's right above everything else. I knew I was in trouble when I stopped referring to Steve as Cap in my head. I wouldn't do anything about it, because of my history. You and Rhodey have been working closely together, and I think you're starting to realize your history isn't really yours. Even if it were, Rhodey wouldn't care."

"He's a good man," Sonya said. "It feels right."

Natasha smiled. "Good. I'm happy for you." Natasha had never thought of Rhodey as a possible romantic interest, but the last few months had shown her Sonya was much more than just her clone. As alike as they were, the added experiences Natasha had after the "sample" was taken made them very different women. Add Sonya's ability to separate herself from Natasha's memories and they really were more like sisters.

"Well, go be happy for me in your own room. If your husband's a asleep, wake him up. You can help with Clint in the morning. No reason for both of us to listen to his snoring."

Steve wasn't in bed when Natasha walked into the room. He was asleep in the chair with a book on PTSD in his hand and a couple of books on grief and forgiving yourself beside him. Natasha smiled softly as she placed a kiss on her husband's cheek.

She knew his studies had nothing to do with his support groups this time around and everything to do with Clint. This was going to be a long haul, but she wasn't in it alone. They'd get Clint through this together. Her little family could get through anything.

Steve's eyes opened. "Hey, didn't think I'd see you tonight."

"Neither did I, but Sonya reminded me I didn't have to do this alone. I'll take over in the morning. Maybe he'll be ready to see you after a good night's sleep."

"If he's not, it's okay. My decision to call him put him on house arrest in the first place. It's got to be killing him he wasn't in the fight. If something happened to you and Sophie, I'd feel helpless, too. Maybe we made the wrong call not bringing him in before we went to Wakanda."

"Pretty sure it wouldn't have changed how he felt or what he's done in the last year," Natasha said, "but maybe he wouldn't be as resistant to our help. I don't know how to get him through this. I think he resents me for having you and Sophie."

"It's just the pain talking. You know how Clint feels about you. Let's go to bed. I'll hold you. You can cry."

"What a wedding night," Natasha said. "I'm sorry."

Steve kissed her cheek. "I'm not. We have him back, Nat. It's a gift. Besides, I'm your husband. If you can't cry on me, who can you cry on?"

* * *

Steve finally got to see Clint the next afternoon. He knew Clint wasn't really ready to see him yet, and he'd planned to give him some space. It was completely by accident that he ran into his old friend. Steve was headed to the gym. Clint was obviously trying to get away from the two super spies who were watching his every move.

"Need a break from all that unconditional love and acceptance?" Steve asked when he saw Clint sneaking down a corridor.

"One of them was bad enough, but two is nearly impossible. They think I'm going to make a break for it."

Steve looked Clint in the eyes. "Are you?"

"Won't say it hasn't crossed my mind. Haven't really decided yet. They want to fix me. I'm not so sure I want to be fixed."

"An honest answer," Steve said, really looking over the archer for the first time. It was like seeing a stranger. Steve's thoughts drifted back to his first encounter with Clint. He was brainwashed by Loki and a real threat. It didn't jive with the truth of the man he would soon consider a friend. This man in front of him was more like the first version than the second, but Loki wasn't to blame. This time the fault was on Thanos, and the damage wasn't something time would undo. "Spar with me."

"You really want to do that? I think you'll find me a lot harder to fight now. I won't hold back," Clint said, an eerie challenge in his tone.

"Good. Neither will I. You want to punish yourself for surviving. I could use a workout. Let's go."

They didn't even bother with padding. As soon as they hit the ring, it was on. Clint attacked, and thanks to the element of surprise, he got in a few good strikes before Steve could move. The fight was intense. It was almost like Clint wanted to anger Steve enough for Steve to Snap and really hurt him.

Steve matched Clint blow for blow. They'd sparred in the past, but never like this. After one particular brutal blow, Steve staggered backward. Clint stopped briefly, probably surprised by his own strength. "Where's that super strength? Hit me harder."

"I'm hitting you hard enough," Steve replied, giving him a right hook.

"Question for you," Clint said, obviously intent on goading him, "Where you already sleeping with my best friend when Thanos showed up? Did love make you too weak to get the job done?"

"That's not fair. We fought hard. You weren't there to see how outmatched we were."

"You should have called," Clint said, landing another blow.

"You were on house arrest, and it wouldn't have made a difference. We were outmatched-completely outmatched." Steve shoved his friend. "You'd have lost them either way. At least this way, you were with them to the end."

Clint didn't answer. The fight resumed. Within minutes, both men were bloody and bruised. Clint was starting to tire, so Steve pretended to be out of breath himself. When Clint finally collapsed into a heap on the floor, Steve collapsed beside him. "You didn't kill those men, because they were evil, did you? You just kept picking fights hoping the next one would be too big for you. You were trying to get yourself killed."

"It should have been me," Clint said, the tears rolling down his face, probably for the first time since he lost his family. "Whenever I left, I always knew there was a chance I wouldn't come back to Laura and the kids. I never thought I'd have to be the one to live without them."

Steve put his hand on Clint's still backed-up fist. "You can't blame yourself for living. They wouldn't want you to become something you're not."

"Maybe this is who I always was," Clint said, "who I would have been if I never met Laura."

"I don't believe that. Neither do the two women you just dodged," Steve said, pointing towards the door where Natasha and Sonya stood watching. "They aren't going to let you go without a fight. Might as well just plan on sticking around."

"They look ticked."

"Yeah, well, I guess we should talk to them," Steve said. "Your hand-to-hand has really improved. Stay on our side. I don't want to have to face you for real."

"After all I've done, I'm not worthy to be an Avenger."

"Join the club. We failed. We just have to get back up and try again. You want to honor their memory? Suit up and join us."

Clint nodded. Sonya helped Clint to his feet and took him to clean up his wounds. Natasha sat down on the mat beside Steve. "How'd you know a fight would help him?"

"I didn't," Steve said, "but I figured if it were me, I'd need someone willing to beat some sense into me."

"I should have thought of it myself. Id have just wiped the floor with him last night and been done with it," Natasha said. "Let's go doctor those wounds, soldier. You did good."


	15. Chapter 15

Natasha and Sonya spent the majority of the next week getting Clint settled. He was different, but there were occasional glimpses of the old Clint in him. The morning Sophie was due home, Natasha was more on edge than she'd been since learning the Red Room decided her DNA was fair game for their mad scientists. She was ready to see her daughter, but what if it set Clint back?

Natasha heard the exchange before she actually made it into the kitchen. It was Tony's voice. Oh no, he was early. "Sophie, this is your uncle Legolas. He's probably going to be your second favorite, because we already know I'm your number one."

Clint groaned at Tony's words. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

"It's really not a fair competition. I've already started the designs on a sweet iron girl suit. She's all mine, but, between you and me, I think Morgan's favorite will be you," Tony's voice softened. "How you doing with all this? I know it has to hurt like hell. I'm really sorry for your loss."

"It's been rough. I won't deny it," Clint said, turning his attention to the little girl while Natasha stayed just out of sight. "Don't listen to Uncle Tony. He has to wear a metal suit to be cool. I'll teach you to shoot a bow and use a sword without having to wear all that bulky stuff. I'm your uncle Clint."

"I know who you are," Sophie said. "You're Mommy's best friend, but you got lost. I was lost once, too. I had to live with a bunch of strangers and be good, but I didn't want to be good. I just wanted my old mommy and daddy. Oops," she paused and looked at her feet. "I'm supposed to let you get better before I bug you, Uncle Hawkeye."

"Uncle Hawkeye," Clint said, his voice cracking, "I kind of like that."

"Do hugs bug you, Uncle Hawkeye?"

"I think a hug might just make me feel a little bit better," Clint said, putting his arms out for Sophie to hug him.

Natasha gave them just a minute, taking time to fix her own composure, before entering the room. "There's my little princess."

"Mommy! I missed you so much," Sophie said running into her arms. "Where's Daddy?"

"We didn't expect you until later. He's in the gym sparring with Aunt Sonya."

"Aunt Sonya's here, too?"

"She is. Why don't you go see who won?"

The little girl took off, leaving Natasha with Tony and Clint. "You let your husband train with, well, um, another you. Does that seem wise?" Tony asked. "I mean, she's a master of seduction, but you should know that."

"I have no worries about Steve and Sonya. Besides, I'm curious about whether I could have beaten him years ago. By the time we sparred, there was too much respect between us to really find out. I told her not to go easy on him."

"This, I've got to see," Tony said, trailing after Sophie.

Natasha looked at Clint. "You okay? I didn't mean for your meeting to happen like that."

Clint nodded. "I'm okay. Until a few minutes ago, I never stopped to think about what would have happened if it had been Nathaniel left alone. I always just thought about how I felt."

"I would have taken care of him."

"I know, but what if it took you, too. Just thinking about Sophie all alone before she had you and Steve, well, it just hit me that my kid could have been in that boat. First time I ever realized things could have been worse. Hurts like hell, but it's a different kind of hurt."

"Healing hurts," Natasha said, pulling him into a hug.

**4 Years Later**

"Just listen to my reasoning before you say no," Tony said, raising his hands in surrender under Natasha and Pepper's icy glares. "I've given this a lot of thought, worked up the design over and over. It is honestly the safest piece of technology I have ever designed."

"Heard that before," Pepper said, "and the answer is still no."

"I'm with Pepper," Natasha said, crossing her arms. "Why would you even think it's a good idea to make nanotech armor for the girls? Steve, tell him it isn't happening."

Steve squirmed slightly in his seat at the table. Dinner at the lake house was always interesting thanks to Tony. He just wished his friend had warned him this conversation was happening today. He really didn't think it was the worst idea Tony had ever had. They'd discussed it a few times in the prototype stage, but he didn't realize Tony had finished the project.

The idea was simple enough. Sophie and Morgan would wear bracelets containing protective armors with coded commands only the parents and other Avengers had access to, and the suits would only be deployed in an emergency. Tony sold Steve on the plan pretty quickly, reminding him these were their only children and they still had enemies out there.

It hadn't been Steve and Natasha's intention for Sophie to grow up an only child, but the timing for a second adoption had never seemed right. Between taking care of Sophie and dealing with other responsibilities, they'd just let go of the idea of more children. Since Morgan acted as the surrogate sister to Sophie, their daughter didn't seem to mind being an only child.

The idea of equipping the two youngest in his life with a suit controlled by Friday and capable of whisking them out of harm's way didn't really sound that crazy. "I'm actually with Tony on this one," he finally said, earning him icy glares of his own from the two women. "For the record, Clint thinks it's a good idea, too."

"So does Rhodey," Tony added.

"You want to equip our children with weapons," Pepper said. "That'll go over big at school. You should have talked to us before wasting all that time on the design and who knows how much money building these suits they will never wear."

"When did you guys even get together to discuss this?" Natasha asked.

"The bachelor party," Tony said, "while you ladies took Sonya to see male strippers, we used Rhodey's night to do something more productive." Ignoring the wives' agitated looks, Tony kept talking. "It's not a new idea. I've been mulling it over since before Morgan was born. I even tried a basic prototype on Sophie when she was like, what? 6, Cap?"

Steve wanted to crawl under the table. Natasha wasn't supposed to ever find out about that test. Sophie hadn't sold them out, but here was Tony giving them the full scoop. "6?" Natasha asked.

"It was a very basic model," Steve said, knowing he was in the dog house.

"But, it worked, and now, it's perfected. It's just an insurance policy. The weapons are for defensive purposes only, and the girls won't be in control. Friday will only do what's absolutely necessary to protect them while swooping them away to safety. It's a win-win. We can do what is necessary while knowing the kids are out of harm's way. Red, surely you can see the value. Sophie looks more and more like you every day. Eventually, someone is going to figure out the truth, and we can't count on all the bad guys involved in her creation having been blipped away."

Steve could tell Tony had finally gotten to Natasha. She was quiet for a moment before looking at Pepper. "We could hear them out before shutting them down, I guess."

Pepper also seemed a bit more subdued. "Okay, but I want to look over the specs personally before any more test runs on the kids."

"You won't be sorry," Tony said. "Sonya knows, too. Rhodey couldn't keep his mouth shut. He blabbed to his wife almost immediately. She came around to the idea. By the time their baby finally hatches from the little pod, I'm going to have a baby sized version ready to protect the little guy. I'm thinking some kind of nano-cradle, maybe missile shaped."

Natasha just nodded, and Steve was relieved she seemed content to hear them out. He knew she valued Sonya's opinion, even though it was now often different from her own. They really were more like sisters than the same person now.

Natasha hadn't even blinked an eye when Sonya decided to use the small cloning pod to start a family with Rhodey, even though Steve knew it was something his wife wasn't particularly in favor of doing for herself. Their new nephew was developing normally inside the pod at the compound under Bruce's watchful eye.

It was still odd for all of them to see Banner in his bulky green form, but their friend seemed happy. He was content to play the hero most of the time and do a little science when his expertise was needed. This project had Bruce downright excited. Steve wasn't sure who was more excited for the birth, Bruce or the parents-to-be.

The five years since the Snap had really solidified most of them into a family. They hadn't been able to help Thor learn to cope, but they'd helped each other. Steve was grateful for the lives they'd built, even as he continued to ache for their losses. He knew Natasha felt the same way.

After Natasha and Pepper had each gone over the specs with a fine tooth comb, they finally agreed to a trial run with the girls. Everyone was satisfied with the results, so soon enough Sophie and Morgan were wearing matching bracelets, designed to protect them from anything that could cause them harm.

The bracelets were easy enough to ignore, so none gave them much thought after a few weeks. All the compound's attention was focused on the impending arrival of Baby Boy Rhodes.

Sonya wasn't on the road much. She was too busy preparing for her son's arrival, and Natasha was happily helping her prepare. Steve, Clint, and Rhodey took down the occasional terror cell, but they stayed pretty close to home, too. The five of them were having an early supper, Sophie being at Tony's for the weekend, when an odd image appeared on the monitor. It was Scott.

"Is this a recording?" Steve asked.

Natasha stood and looked at the monitor. "It's the front door."

**Time jump and we are nearing the events of the time heist. There's still some story to go, but this time around, Tony isn't the only one with a lot to lose. Vormir is waiting, and our story has to pay it a visit. **


	16. Chapter 16

"You can't possibly be considering this as a real option," Tony said, glaring at Scott from across the compound's living room. "Time travel? We're talking about messing with the universe, and, let's make one thing clear here, when you mess with the universe, it messes back. We have lives-good ones. I, for one, don't want to lose what I've got."

"Tony-" Steve began, but he was cut off by an unexpected source.

"Tony isn't wrong to want to keep what we've gained," Sonya said softly. It surprised Steve more than a little that she agreed with Tony. Natasha had been all in from the moment Scott revealed his plan.

"What about what we've lost?" Natasha asked, "what everyone has lost?"

"I didn't stay we shouldn't do it," Sonya said firmly, "but we would be foolish if we didn't think about the possible consequences. Think about Sophie. Are you willing to risk what you have, because I'm not. My son's birth is days away. If I have to choose between him and everyone else in the galaxy I choose him every time."

"Someone with some common sense!" Tony said, giving Sonya a nod.

"That's why it's important you help us do it right. If anyone can figure out a way to save the others without jeopardizing our families, it's you," Sonya said. "Look around the room, Tony. Tell me you honestly believe they'll stop because of our doubts. This is going to happen. It probably should happen. Help us, so we don't lose everything that matters."

"She's right," Natasha said. "With or without you, we have to try. Our chances of succeeding are better if you put your genius to work on our side. Think about Peter. Doesn't he deserve the same chance to grow up Morgan has?"

Steve didn't say anything as he watched the rest of the exchange between his fellow Avengers. His thoughts were on Sophie. Her ninth birthday was just weeks away. The idea of doing anything that might jeopardize his daughter's happiness terrified him, but what about the happiness of the rest of the universe? There were so many people out there who weren't as lucky as he was, and they deserved a chance at the happiness Thanos took away.

He listened as Tony and Scott debated _Back to the Future_, grateful Natasha had made him watch the trilogy years before when they were working for Shield. He listened as Scott and Clint lamented lost time with their families. His thoughts turned to Bucky, Sam, Wanda, and even T'Challa, a man who had treated him like a brother. Sarah came to mind. His little girl who had never even cried her first tear was counting on him to right this wrong. Not trying wasn't an option.

Finally, a reluctant Tony left the compound, saying he needed to think. Steve understood it was as close to a yes as they'd be getting for the moment and left the others to plan, while he moved to the gym for a workout. He hadn't been hitting the boxing dummy more than a few minutes when his wife walked in to the room.

"I'd say 'penny for your thoughts', but I can see them written all over your face," she said, pulling on a pair of gloves. "Give the bag a break, and spar with me."

Steve followed Natasha into the ring. This was their dance. They never went straight into attack mode when they sparred together. It was always a series of strike and defend between them, each trying to prolong the match as long as possible before inevitably ending up out of breath and leaning against each other for support on the floor.

Natasha struck first, a predictable blow Steve could easily swipe away. Before Steve's equally predictable retaliation, she asked the question he'd been waiting to hear. "What price are you willing to pay?"

Steve didn't answer before striking back. He wasn't sure what the answer was at the moment. He finally answered with a question of his own as she pinned him to the mat. "What price should we be willing to pay to undo the biggest failure of our lives?"

"Whatever it takes," Natasha whispered.

"Whatever it takes," Steve said, flipping her onto her back and taking the upper hand. "I just hope we can live with the cost."

"Whatever the cost, we've lived through worse. If there's a way to keep what we have-"

"We have to do it. If there's not-"

"Still not seeing any other option," Natasha said softly. "Our lives can't come before everyone else's or we aren't the heroes the world thinks we are." She raised her face to meet his. "Just promise we will try not to lose everything in the process."

"I promise. You and Sophie are my world. I won't let either of you go without a fight."

"I'm not sitting on the sidelines this time. If we do this, I'm back in. Sonya has as much to lose as I do. I'm pulling her from this mission. Baby David will be ready to deliver in 3 days. I won't have her out there when her heart isn't in the game. Too risky to the mission."

"Nat, what about Sophie?"

"I left field work, because I didn't trust myself to do what was necessary to come back to Sophie. Things have changed. Now, I'd do anything to come back to her. Besides, this is my fight. Sonya didn't fail the first time. We did. I need to see it through."

Steve gave up all pretenses of sparring and pulled his wife into his arms. "Then I know we'll succeed, because there's no one I trust more in a battle than you."

It took 4 days for Tony to come back to the compound, but he came bearing gifts. Steve just shook his head as he looked at the wrist devices that would make their now named time heist a reality. The plan was simple enough. They would form teams, travel back in time, collect the stones, then return to the present and "snap" everyone back. Sure, their lost friends would lose the five years since the Snap, but, at least, the rest of them would have the luxury of keeping what had come to matter most to them. Perfect solution? Hardly, but it was the only one they could live with at the moment.

Everything went pretty well, with the exception of Thor's drunken state, until Clint took his test run to the past. He was a wreck after almost seeing his missing family. When he returned, Sonya handed Baby David to Natasha and drug Clint to the ring to spar. She underestimated the effect his emotional state had on his psyche and ended up having to use more force than usual to take him down. His arm was fractured in the process.

"I can still do my part. It's an easy in and out. No worries," Clint said, as Rhodey and Bruce tended to his arm.

"Nothing is ever as easy as it seems. You can't go," Natasha said firmly. "We'll reconfigure the teams. It'll be fine. We can make do with 7."

"No, we should have 8. I'll go," Sophie said. When the others looked at her, she just shook her head. "It's only a minute. What can happen here in a minute? David won't even know I'm gone. I'll partner with Natasha. Whatever's out there won't stand a chance against two widows."

"You're sure?" Steve asked.

"For Laura and the kids," Sonya said. "Clint needs his family. I'm in."

**5 Days Later**

The team stood on the platform. Clint held David in his good arm, while Sophie stood beside him, not content to simply hear about this moment later even though her parents would have preferred she stay away.

Natasha listened as Steve gave a final speech. When he was done, they looked into each other's eyes. He reached out and squeezed her hand briefly before letting go. "See you in a minute," she said, a smile on her face to hide the fear she felt that it might just not be as easy as everyone claimed in all their bravado.

The next moment she was standing beside Sonya, Rhodey, and Nebula. They quickly enlarged the ship and took off. Natasha made small talk with Nebula as they made their jump into space, leaving Sonya and Rhodey a last few minutes alone before the two teams separated. The sinking feeling in Natasha's stomach was quickly masked by an adrenaline rush as they flew through space. This was it-the redemption they'd waited for all these years.

After parting with Rhodey and Nebula, Natasha cranked up some music in the ship and enjoyed the companionship of her found sister. This was their first mission together, and it would likely be their last. If all went well, they'd both have newborns to take care of when it was over. Neither of them saw any reason not to step aside and enjoy what they'd been given.

Vormir was beautiful in it's own way. Sure, it was dark and a little creepy, but there was an odd peace around the place. The hike took longer than they expected, but time was relative for them at the moment. Their conversation lulled as they approached the top of the mountain. They could see a man with a red face hovering above the ground. He made no move to speak until they were fully on the mountain's summit.

"Natasha and Sonya, daughters of Ivan, what you seek Carrie's a heavy price," the figure said. "The soul stone can only be obtained by giving up one that you love. A soul for a soul, an eternal exchange."

The figure said nothing else as Natasha and Sonya sat side by side on a ledge. Natasha was horrified by the cost. There were people waiting for them, important people who depended on them. This was going to be the hardest thing she had ever had to do, but she knew it had to be her.

Sonya's life had only really begun. She was innocent. All the red in Natasha's ledger was her own. Her thoughts turned to Steve, Sophie, and Sarah. He could raise them. She knew he was a good dad, but they'd been so close to having it all.

Part of her wanted to grab Sonya and just abort the mission, but she couldn't. Little Nathaniel's face came into her mind. He deserved a chance. Lila, Cooper, Laura, and Wanda flashed through her head. She thought of all the orphans of the Snap she'd worked with through the years. She could help them-take away all of their suffering. She just had to do it.

Finally, Natasha looked at her sister. "We should have known it wouldn't be simple."

"Never is, but there's a lot at stake. I'm only seeing one option here. We don't have a choice," Sonya said.

"No do overs, no second chances. This is it," Natasha said, standing to her feet.

"I have a feeling we have different ideas about who it has to be," Sonya said, jumping to her own feet. "This is a good time to remind you I'm a clone. As real as the last few years have seemed, I'm not really real. It has to be me."

"You are so much more than they made you to be. You're my sister, and I couldn't have asked for a better one. I've got a lot of red in my ledger-"

"Wipe it out another day," Sonya said, taking off in a dead run towards the cliff. "Time to find out if I even have a soul."

"No," Natasha screamed, raising her arm to shoot Sonya with her widow's bite.

Sonya fell to the ground, but kept crawling towards the cliff. Natasha took off running. "Think about your family. David needs his mother."

Sonya shot Natasha with a bite of her own. "Sophie needs hers. You promised Steve you wouldn't be reckless again. Keep your word."

"We couldn't have predicted it would come to this. Steve will understand. You'll make him understand."

The women were near the edge of the cliff, fighting for the right to jump. Completely evenly matched, the battle wore on for several minutes. Each attempting to push the other further away from the cliff's edge. Neither woman held the advantage long before it flipped to the other. Finally completely exhausted, a blow from Sonya knocked both women off balance. They went careening off the edge of the cliff together, falling towards the rocky surface below.

**Don't kill me. I know I just sent both women over the cliff, but if I'm dead, you won't find out what happens next. Trust me.**


	17. Chapter 17

The first sensation Natasha felt was wetness. She'd expected fire. After all she'd done, hell was her likely destination. Something was off.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. She was on the ground, but it wasn't the surface she had been barreling towards when she fell. Water swirled at her feet. A slow drizzling rain hit her head. She should be dead, but the throbbing from Sonya's last blow to her cheek told her otherwise. Sonya! She scanned the perimeter until her eyes landed on her sister.

Sonya was only a few feet away, as dazed as Natasha, but every bit as alive. Their eyes met, but they didn't dare speak. Nothing made sense. Seconds past before Natasha even realized her hand was clenched. Opening it, she found the soul stone. She raised it to show Sonya. The woman shared a confused look as they stood to their feet.

"How?" Sonya asked.

Natasha shook her head. "I don't know. None of this makes sense."

Seeing a steep rocky path, they started the slow climb out of the crevice, anxious to return to their ship and get as far away from the planet as possible. The path wasn't easy to navigate, but they'd come too far to stop. Their tired aching bodies could recover after the mission was complete.

The red-faced figure still hovered in his place. Natasha had no desire to ask any of her many questions, but he obviously had other plans. "You are a most peculiar case," he said. "Identical, but not. Strong, but vulnerable. Both willing to pay the price, neither willing to let the other. It caused quite a stir within the soul world. There was much debate between the sentient beings on what should be done with you. The stone was purchased, but there was no one to accept the prize."

"So they let us both live? That's the decision they came to?" Natasha said. "Why?"

"You were found worthy. The stone is safe in your hands. Sacrificial love like you displayed is very rare. Go in peace."

They stayed silent until the ship was in space. "That was too close. We almost-" Sonya began, leaving the rest of her thoughts unspoken.

"No almost to it," Natasha said. "pretty sure we did. They brought us back. Wish they'd have brought me back without the headache. Nice move with the right hook."

"You got in some pretty good shots yourself. I'm sorry. I couldn't let you go."

"Neither could I. This was one adventure I wouldn't mind never discussing again. Mind if we leave out the details when we get home?"

"I don't think there's any reason to share them. We got what we came for and didn't lose each other. Steve doesn't have to know you tried to make the sacrifice play again."

"Rhodey could probably do without the knowledge either. We're a mess. You know that, right?"

Sonya just smiled. "All's well that ends well."

Finally back on the platform in 2023, Natasha grabbed Steve and pulled him into a kiss. He returned it with the same eagerness and held her in his arms until Tony coughed slightly, bringing them back to reality. "Everyone achieve their objectives?"

"We've got the stones," Rhodey said, holding up his prize.

"Good, let's get this done. Everything's ready in my lab."

Tony took off ahead of the group. The others followed, with Steve and Natasha pulling up the rear. "Things didn't go as planned," Steve whispered. "We had to make an extra trip to 1970. He saw his father."

"Oh, that couldn't have gone well. They have a complicated relationship."

"It might be less complicated now. He seems better since they talked," Steve said, slowing his pace. "I saw Peggy. She didn't see me."

Natasha felt a pang of jealousy. She immediately regretted it. There was no point in being jealous of a dead woman, but they had time travel now. Things were more complicated. If Steve decided he wanted to be with Peggy, he had the option. "Peggy in the 70's? I'm sure that wasn't easy."

"It wasn't as hard as it could have been. I loved her, no denying it, but I've never loved anyone the way I love you. My picture was on her desk. I don't think she had fully moved on. I wanted to tell her she would marry and have a family. I wanted to tell her about you, but I couldn't risk the mission."

"I'm sorry, Steve. I know it had to be hard."

"Your mission go well?"

Natasha bit her lip. She wasn't going to lie, but he had been through enough. He didn't need all the details. "It didn't go according to plan, but things worked out in the end. That's all that matters, right?"

"Right. If things go the way Tony and Bruce expect, everyone will reappear right where they were last standing. Sarah should be in the pod soon. It's set up in Tony's office. We'll have our youngest daughter. Are you ready?"

"So ready," Natasha said, her smile met by his own.

Natasha's eyes stayed firmly focused on the pod as Bruce snapped his fingers. She didn't need to look at Steve or Sophie to know they were looking the same direction. Their little lost girl would soon be in their arms. She found herself slowly counting the seconds, waiting for her daughter's appearance.

When Scott called to the group from the window, claiming he thought it worked, her heart started beating faster. "It didn't," she insisted, eyes still trained on the pod.

A phone rang. She heard Clint's voice. "Laura?"

Her heart soared and sank in that moment. If it worked, where was her daughter? Realization hit her. "Steve, quinjet. She must be in Russia. We need to move."

Steve didn't get to answer before the first explosion. Somehow, Thanos was on the compound. She immediately turned her focus towards the daughter still in front of her. "Friday, activate-"

Friday didn't even wait for her to finish the order. Sophie's nano-armor enveloped her, while the nano-crib formed around little David. Natasha and Sonya looked at each other then at their children as they were whisked away to the safety of Tony's lake house. Natasha watched until they were out of sight and out of harms way before turning her focus to the battle at hand.

The compound was a mess of destruction. Chaos reigned, and Natasha couldn't see Steve. Somehow, they'd been separated. She was near Tony, and the two of them were navigating the rubble in search of a better vantage point. Tony's words came back to her like a ton of bricks. "When you mess with the universe, it tends to mess back." How this happened wasn't nearly as important as what they were going to do about it. She needed to keep her head in the game.

It didn't take much time to make their way to what had been the compound's grounds moments before, and Natasha finally got her first glimpse of Steve. He was standing alone, bruised and battered as she knew she was, and ready to fight. She heard Sam's voice before seeing the portals. "On your left" might just be her new favorite words.

They fought hard, heroes from all over the galaxy, but nothing seemed to be enough. She watched as the hand piece on Tony's armor changed into a gauntlet. "I don't like what your thinking," she said. "You can't do it."

"Just a precaution. I don't want to, but if it comes down to it, I will."

"You won't survive."

"Like I said, it's not my favorite option," Tony said, looking at Stephen Strange. "Is this the scenario where we win?"

"I don't know," Strange said, pointing a finger at Natasha. "She wasn't in any of the scenarios I saw. We're in new territory here."

Tony gave Natasha a pained look as they both came to the same conclusion. In all the other realities, she was dead, but they didn't matter. Only this reality mattered. Tony looked at his gauntlet. "Never thought I'd be the one to make the sacrifice play, did you, Red?" Into the coms, he said, "I need those stones ASAP."

"On it, Mr. Stark," Peter's voice rang out.

""I've got you, Peter Parker," Carol called out, giving Natasha an idea.

"Give me the gauntlet," she said, edging closer to Tony.

"It would kill you. No, it has to be me."

"But, it doesn't. Carol's powers came from an infinity stone. She could survive."

"She might not."

"She has a better chance than you. Tony, trust me. Give me the gauntlet."

"You'll never make it to her on your own, and I'm a little pinned down at the moment. There's not another way."

"There's always another way."

"And, she's a not alone," Strange said. I can get her there.

Tony reluctantly removed the gauntlet, his regular armor replacing it on his hand. "Don't do anything stupid, Red. If she can't do it-"

"I have no intention of dying today." Natasha took off like a shot through the portal Strange opened, exiting just below where Carol was flying. "Carol, gauntlet!"

Carol looked down and immediately changed course, grabbing the gauntlet from her hands. "It's risky. There's A chance-" Natasha began.

"I'll take that chance," Carol said.

"Just focus on Thanos and his army. The gauntlet will do the rest."

Before the last stone was in place, another portal opened beside Natasha. "Go," Strange's voice said. Natasha didn't think twice. She jumped through the portal and landed in a cold lab. She recognized it from her memories before she even heard the crying newborn in Madame B's arms.

"What a surprise, Natalia. You've come home, but I no longer have need of you," Madame B said. "Kill her."

A group of her clones stood behind Madame B, all in Natasha's own strike formation and obviously cloned at a different time in her life-a time when her loyalty to Madame B was unquestionably strong. "Okay, let's do this," Natasha said, raising her batons in the air. She would save her daughter or die trying.


	18. Chapter 18

As the hammer soared into Steve's hand, he felt a second wind rush through him. The battle was raging around him. He wasn't sure if Natasha was alive or dead and didn't dare focus on the possibility it was the latter. Nothing but the moment could matter or they would fail again. He heard Thor's voice saying he'd known all along Steve was worthy, but that didn't matter either.

Stopping the titan from undoing what they'd just done and protecting lives was all Steve could do. He and Thor were passing Mjolnir back and forth like it was a Frisbee, trying to gain the upper hand. He could see the trajectory of Thor's latest throw. It was going to be a headshot. It was inches from Thanos's face when something incredible happened.

The titan and all of his army started turning to ash. Steve reached his hand out to catch Mjolnir before walking towards where the titan had stood. Someone had used the stones. He could see Bruce walking his direction, a puzzled look on his face. If it wasn't Bruce, who was it?

His eyes scanned the perimeter for his wife. Surely she hadn't sacrificed herself to achieve the victory, but she was no where in sight. His knees gave out under him. Whether it was from exhaustion or fear, he wasn't sure. Steve watched as Janet Vandyne ran past him. His eyes followed her as she rushed to Carol's side.

Steve could see the woman on the ground, obviously wounded. He climbed over the rubble between them and joined the small crowd gathered around her. The gauntlet was still on her hand. "She'll live," Janet said, as she looked up at her husband. "I need a stretcher and a quiet place to work, but she's strong."

Steve looked into Carol's eyes. "I guess you weren't wrong. We needed you. Good job, Captain. That was very brave. How'd you even think to do it?"

"Natasha," Carol said, "it was her idea."

Steve scanned the crowd again, still looking for a sign of his wife. "You won't find her on the battlefield, Captain," Strange said, opening a portal. "You may want to take a few with you. I'm sure she's going to need some help."

**The Russian Lab**

As soon as Natasha had taken out the first of her clones, two more attacked. Natasha would have tried to reason with them, but it was obvious they had no desire to change sides. She'd been just as hardened once upon a time, so she didn't bother. Exhaustion from her previous battles made it nearly impossible for her to take on two equally matched opponents, but her newborn's cries kept her going.

This wasn't a battle she could win, but she would take as many out as possible in hopes of delaying Madam B's escape long enough for help to arrive-if help would arrive at all. Her daughter could not be raised to be a weapon, so she banished the possibility of no one coming from her mind and kept going. When Thor's hammer flew past her, millimeters from her head, and took out one of the attacking clones, she turned around, fully expecting to see her Asgardian friend, but he wasn't there.

Steve, Tony, Rhodey, and Sonya were in the lab, the portal closing as soon as the last had stepped through, and they were the most beautiful sight she'd seen in her life. When Steve raised his hand and Mjolnir flew back into it, she grinned. "Somebody picked up a new toy," she said, punching the clone in front of her.

"It was time for an upgrade," Steve said, attacking another clone.

Rhodey aimed his weapon at another before looking at Sonya. "This is seriously whacked. Not sure I want to kill your doubles."

Sonya was already fighting another, but she looked back at her husband. "We'll sort it out later in therapy. For now, if someone who looks like me comes at you, take her out."

Tony took off towards Madam B, who was rushing for the exit. "I'll secure the baby," he said, holding up a small bracelet, "but I'm going to need help."

"Madam B is mine," Natasha said taking off after him. She didn't need to look back to know Steve was behind her.

"Go," Sonya shouted. "We'll hold them off."

The trio followed Madam B through the facility. Tony reached her first, propelling the nano-tech bracelet towards the baby. "Friday activate," he yelled.

As soon as the bracelet was in range of the infant, the pod started forming around her. Madam B tried to grab the cradle-like pod, but Friday propelled it out of her reach. Realizing she'd lost, the older woman took off running again, but Natasha was faster. Soon the former mentor was scuffling with her best student, and Natasha was above her, her hands on her neck.

"Do it, Natalia," the woman said, "kill me. It's what you've wanted for so many years. Go ahead."

Natasha tightened the pressure around the women's windpipe, but she didn't snap her neck. "No," she said, her voice calm and even despite her shortness of breath.

"They've made you weak, Natalia. You're a disgrace. You could kill me in an instant, but you won't do it."

"You're right. I could kill you, but I won't. Killing you would be mercy, and you hate mercy. It's time for you to pay for your crimes," Natasha said, as Steve leaned down beside her, restraining Madam B. "They didn't make me weak. They made me strong-strong enough to defeat you. Don't ever forget that."

Sonya and Rhodey joined them a moment later. "Facility secured," Rhodey said. "Not sure how we're getting home."

"What home?" Sonya said. "Thanos just destroyed it."

"Friday has our transportation on the way," Tony said. "We'll go back to my place."

Natasha opened the pod as they spoke. She looked at Steve as his eyes got their first good glimpse of their daughter. Sarah was fussing as Natasha pulled her into her arms. She examined the newborn closely for any signs of real distress. "She's perfect," she whispered, kissing the strawberry blonde hair on her head.

"Absolutely perfect," Steve said, placing a kiss of his own on the tiny baby's hand.

Natasha placed Sarah in Steve's arms before her thoughts turned back to the previous battle. "Thanos?"

"Gone," Tony said. "Carol's a little worse for the wear, but she's going to make it. I owe you one, Red."

Natasha caressed her daughter's cheek. "Oh, I think we're even."

**The Lake House**

**One Week Later**

It felt right holding a memorial service for Vision at the lake house. The world had been in so much chaos when he passed five years earlier and Wanda hadn't been around, so the remaining few had merely made a toast to the fallen and gotten back down to business.

Steve held Sarah in his arms, while Sonya stood beside him. Natasha stayed at Wanda's side as the younger woman placed the wreath into the water. The others were there, too. There were so many of them now, but even as Steve looked around at the gathered Avengers, he wondered if they'd be enough for whatever came next.

Earth was on the map now. The universe was currently praising them for saving the lives of trillions, but Steve knew the praises would end and others like Thanos would now see Earth as a threat. He and Fury had discussed it the night before while the others were sleeping. Shield wasn't enough anymore. They had to think bigger, and Fury and Carol had a few ideas.

Their plan would involve Fury spending most of his time in space, leaving Natasha to continue acting on his behalf on Earth. She didn't know yet. Steve wanted the news to come from Fury himself. He knew it would mean more coming from her old mentor. Steve had a role to play, too, but it wasn't the one Fury had originally offered. He didn't want to lead the Avengers into battle again. It was time to pass on the mantle to Sam, something he planned to do as soon as he returned the stones. He would work alongside his wife training these new Avengers.

Once the memorial was over, Natasha reclaimed their infant daughter and kissed him on the cheek. "What was that for?" he asked.

"Surviving," she said, "and giving me so many reasons to want to survive."

"Happy to oblige."

Steve watched as she bit her lip slightly. "I died," she said, "on Vormir. Sonya and I died. Someone had to die to get the soul stone. We fought for the chance to be the one-"

"To die. Nat, I understand. That was an incredibly brave thing to do. How are you here?"

She grinned. "The sentient beings in charge of the stone decided I was worthy. For the first time in my life, I think I almost believed it."

"I've always known that."

"You've always made me feel like I was worth more. Thank you. I love you so much, Steve."

"I love you, too."

"When you return the stones, do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Go have that dance."

"Nat-"

"I mean it, Steve. Dance with Peggy. Tell her the truth. Help her move on then come home to us. I'm at peace with my past. Promise me you'll make peace with yours."

Steve wrapped his arms around his wife. "I'll make sure Peggy knows it's time to move on then I'll be back at your side, and I'm never leaving it again."

"Tony's rebuilding. It shouldn't take long, but I don't want the girls living at the Compound. We got lucky. If the suit hadn't deployed on time, we could have lost Sophie. I want to get a house for our family. I want them safe."

"We'll do it. We can live wherever you want. As long as I have you, I'm home," Steve said, meaning it more than he had ever meant anything in his life. This wasn't the life he'd planned when he joined the army, but it was perfect.

**The End.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Here's a short epilogue then this one is really finished. Thanks for reading.**

Steve had only been back from delivering the stone a few hours, and Natasha hadn't gotten the chance to ask her lingering questions. Having two children made private conversations difficult enough, but with one of those two children being a nearly nine year old not used to sharing her parents' attention, it was even harder.

Sophie's confusion over exactly how to feel about her new little sister was the reason Natasha was currently snuggled up with her older daughter in a twin sized bed. "Why so blue, princess?" she asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.

Sophie burrowed deeper under the covers and turned away from her mother. "I'm glad you got your baby back."

"You mean our baby," Natasha said softly. "She's yours, too. You always wanted to be a big sister."

"Yeah, but she's more yours than I am. You just got stuck with me."

Natasha gently turned Sophie to face her. "Is that what you think?"

"It's true. If my old mom and dad hadn't died, you wouldn't have had to take me. Now, you have your real daughter."

"I have two very real daughters," Natasha said, caressing the back of Sophie's head."

"It's not the same."

Natasha looked into Sophie's eyes. She couldn't tell her everything, but maybe it was time to tell her a little about where she came from and hope the child could understand. "Sophie, what color was your first mom's hair?"

"Blonde."

"What color is your hair?"

"Red."

"And mine?"

"Red, Mom. I'm not a little kid. I know my colors."

"But, you don't know genetics. Sophie, have you ever noticed that we have the same eyes? The same nose?"

"I guess," the child said.

"There's a really good reason for why you look so much like me. Your first mom was my friend. She knew how dangerous my life was and how many people wanted to hurt me. She also knew something I didn't know. She knew about the plan to make Sarah. We already explained how Sarah grew the same way David grew, remember?" Natasha paused long enough for Sophie to nod her head. "Sarah wasn't the first attempt the Red Room made. You were."

Sophie sat up. "You mean I'm yours?"

"More completely than you could possibly understand. We didn't tell you, because we wanted to keep you safe. Now that the Red Room is gone forever, I guess it doesn't hurt for you to know."

Sophie threw her arms around Natasha's neck. "So, Sarah really is my baby sister? And, I belong to you and Daddy?"

"Technically, just me on that end, but Daddy loves you just as much as he loves Sarah. We'll always love you. Sarah can't replace you. Nobody will ever take your place."

"I love you, Mom. I'm so sorry I've been mad at Sarah. I didn't know."

"Now you do," Natasha said, kissing the child's forehead. "Are you good to go to sleep now?"

"I think so. Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Sophie."

Natasha walked to the room she was sharing with Steve and the baby. He was feeding Sarah a bottle. "She okay?"

"Better now. How about you? How long did it take to return the stones?"

"Nearly a week. I missed you every second."

"And, the mission was successful?"

"Every stone is in place."

Natasha nodded and sat beside her husband. "Did you complete your side mission?"

"I did. We had our dance. I told her I was fine-that I had moved on. It was hard, but she needed the closure. She's going to be alright. Now, she knows there is someone out there for her."

Natasha smiled. "Good."

"Were you worried?"

"I always worry about you when I'm not there to watch your back," Natasha said, taking Sarah from his arms to burp her.

"Not what I meant and you know it. Were you worried I'd choose Peggy over you and the girls?"

"Not even for a minute. If there's one thing I know better than to doubt it is that you love me. I still haven't figured out why, but I know it's true."

Steve gave her a chaste kiss and pulled her and the baby in close. "Don't ever forget it."

**The End (for real this time).**


End file.
